• njm1314@lemmy.world
    62·
    2 months ago

    OP did you think this was the matrix? Who do you think is literally dodging bullets?

        • Nollij@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          51·
          2 months ago

          The term frequently means narrowly avoiding a bad outcome, regardless of how it happens. Often it’s nothing more than Mr Magoo-ing out of the way.

          There are remarkably few people in the world who can actually dodge a literal bullet. Everything else is just luck or escaping.

          • njm1314@lemmy.world
            11·
            2 months ago

            Yes that’s what the term means figuratively. However having read the title I was referring to the other part.

            • all-knight-party@kbin.run
              11·
              2 months ago

              I would assume through context clues that “figuratively” in this context means narrowly avoiding a bad situation, and “literally” means avoiding your death regardless of whether it has to do with a literal bullet or not.

              • njm1314@lemmy.world
                1·
                2 months ago

                It’s an odd assumption to make when it’s not the meaning of the word literally. That’s literally the meaning of the word figuratively.

                • all-knight-party@kbin.run
                  11·
                  2 months ago

                  I think we’ve had enough years on this planet to realize people use the word literally incorrectly almost as often as they use it correctly.