Songbox

Can you clarify what's wrong with the word "actually"? Have I missed a memo?

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4yr ago

Jesus Mejuto

Actually no

Maker

@mickc79 Nothing wrong per se with "the word". Sometimes people overuse it. It is similar to somebody overusing, for instance, "literally" (extension idea? :)) incorrectly. Maybe I am a bit of language snob :) I am sure I have my own ticks, specially as english is no my first language.

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4yr ago

Primer

Songbox

@mejutoco Ah ok I get you. However the problem with "literally" isn't overuse, it's incorrect use. "I literally died" NO YOU DIDN'T

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4yr ago

Jesus Mejuto

Actually no

Maker

@mickc79 Interesting conversation, thanks for the feedback! Exactly! That makes a lot of sense. I can see now it is slightly different as you said. Thinking about it I would say there are of 2 possible uses (armchair mode on): ... (Nothing before) "I actually do not believe in Santa Claus" I think here there is no new information, and one could argue that it is also "incorrect" — since is is just used for emphasis, but no meaning would be lost with "I do not believe in Santa Claus" (I guess the emphasis could be considered something lost?) - Alien was directed by Ivan Reitman - Actually, it was directed by Ridley Scott Here, I would say it is correctly used, since it is correcting a wrong fact — explicitly stated. I believe the first case is the one that can be annoying, since it seems to make a correction when none is necessary. I think this unnecessary emphasis can come off as Besserwisser/Know-it-all. Anyway, I spend the last 5 minutes writing "actually" and thinking about examples with it. This extension was supposed to _help_ with that (:

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4yr ago

Kevin Golan

Thank you so much for this! Looking forward to reclaiming some of my much-needed time previously wasted reading actually's all over the internet. Massive game changer

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4yr ago

Jesus Mejuto

Actually no

Maker

@kevingolan Thanks Kevin! :D More time to create products now!

4yr ago

Why?

4yr ago

Actually no

Maker

@school_4_ants I read Benjamin Dreyer's "Dreyer's English" and he suggests an exercise: for one week you cannot use words like actually, literally, really, etc. He jokes about doing it for a month, or for the rest of your life. I thought I would take on it. It helps that it is my first extension and I have way too many projects!

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4yr ago

Actually no

A Chrome extension to remove actually from the web

Do you use Actually no?