Literally v. Figuratively

"Literally" has literally become a cliché, in that people are literally overusing this word, and often in situations where it literally means the opposite of what they are literally wanting to say (if anything at all).  To review, "literally" means that it really happened.  No "sorts of's."  "No kinda's."  It really happened, exactly as you say.  So if you say, for instance, that you "literally died laughing," then you really died, which makes it a bit of a mystery how you could be saying such a thing, but I digress.  "Figurative," on the other hand, means it's a figure of speech, and it didn't actually happen that way.  Here, it really is "sort of."  So, for instance, if it's really important that you let somebody know that you really didn't die, you can say you "figuratively died laughing."  Of course, to say you "died laughing" is a cliché, too, whether it's literal or figurative.  But, once again, I digress.  The easiest way to keep these two words straight is to stop saying you "literally" did anything.  Come up with something new.  Your readers will appreciate it.

Beware the Ides of March!

Let’s face it.  Nobody would give a rip about the ides of anything, much less the Ides of March, if it hadn’t been for William Shakespeare.  In his play Julius Caesar, he has the Soothsayer warn the doomed ruler, “Beware the ides of March.”  (I.ii.66)  More...