OK I literally just got kidnapped.....

[TheAviator]

Question: why would you hand over the keys to your car when car shopping? I've bought 4 cars and have never done that.

Because they were appraising my car for potential trade in value. I will most likely sell it out right, but if they give me a good enough trade in value on it I may consider trading it in, its easier that way.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I know I'm not suppose to post and all but when I saw the thread title and saw it was you, I actually thought maybe you had been. After all, you have a crazy ex and boyfriend and seem to have some unsavory friends on Facebook. So in this case I "literally" thought you had been kidnapped.

*snort

"I know I'm not supposed to post..." Hahahaha!

Sorry... It was funny.

 

[WDSearcher]

If you're trading in a car, the car salesmen (or women) will often ask for the keys to start the car, check mileage, oil life, etc.

I usually hand them a car key on a ring that says "Spare Key" -- it's the only key on the ring and it's pretty clear it's not my main key. They go in knowing that I have my own key still on my person, and no one has ever tried the old, "we'll give them back to you after we discuss this new deal ..." tactic.

 

[ashley0139]

Hmm yes but using the word "literally" in such a situation just emphasizes the rudeness of the sales manager loser person involved, whatever he was, I am still not sure if he was a manager or what. So you see although I wasn't "literally" kidnapped, the use of the word "literally" nonetheless emphasizes the point, so you see there is actually a legitimate reason for using the word "literally."

No, literally means it actually happened. You were not literally kidnapped. That is an unfortunate and unacceptable situation though.

 

[NFLDERS]

No, literally means it actually happened. You were not literally kidnapped. That is an unfortunate and unacceptable situation though.

So. . . the use of the word Hijacked, ie: may only be used in literal not figurative meaning.

Someone saying for example, someone hijacked a conversation?

Just trying to understand, the use of language rules on these threads. . .

 

[TheAviator]

I know I'm not suppose to post and all but when I saw the thread title and saw it was you, I actually thought maybe you had been. After all, you have a crazy ex and boyfriend and seem to have some unsavory friends on Facebook. So in this case I "literally" thought you had been kidnapped.

Ha ha, thanks, your fine. I pardon you.

 

[TheAviator]

So. . . the use of the word Hijacked, ie: may only be used in literal not figurative meaning.

Someone saying for example, someone hijacked a conversation?

Just trying to understand, the use of language rules on these threads. . .

Thank you. Yes I think some people don't get the use of a "figure of speech" or using a word to make a point for emphasis. Like how many times does someone say, "oh I will kill you if you do that." But they weren't "literally" going to kill someone, just a figure of speech.

 

[EMom]

Unfortunately I think this is a common tactic. I wonder if anyone has every filed a criminal complaint.

I haven't read all the posts, but IIRC from law school, yes.....There have been criminal and civil cases on this very issue. Car dealerships refuse to give back your keys, essentially holding you hostage. The car dealership/salesman was found at fault/guilty. I can't believe they still pull this crap.

 

[EMom]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...ord-english-dictionary-linguistics-etymology/

The definition has changed.

I do not agree with Google's assertion that the definition has changed. They can dumb it down all they want, it's still not right.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

I had something similar happen to me years ago! They kept telling me "just one more minute, let me see what I can do for you!" And one more minute turned into 2 hours, I eventually just walked out while he was still talking.

 

[TheAviator]

I haven't read all the posts, but IIRC from law school, yes.....There have been criminal and civil cases on this very issue. Car dealerships refuse to give back your keys, essentially holding you hostage. The car dealership/salesman was found at fault/guilty. I can't believe they still pull this crap.

What's flabbergasting about it, is how anyone would think that is a good sales technique. Normally a salesman is trying to persuade you to buy something, not make you so annoyed and angry you never want to do business with them. It just doesn't even make sense. Whoever teaches this is just.....I have no words.

 

[shortbun]

....at a car dealership. Aww righty then, that was a new experience, what a unique sales tactic, kidnapping. We aren't going to let you leave. The salesman was nice enough but the most pushy bully tactic salesmanager or whatever he was, not sure. He literally would not give me my keys back. I told him several times I was in a hurry, just on my lunch break, I could come back later to evaluate my trade in. But I literally had to go and grab my keys. He kept saying, please just a second, we are trying to find you the best deal possible yada yada. Yeah dude I gotta go. I can not believe any owner or general manager would not have gotten wind of this guys techniques. If this has happened to me, I'm sure its happened to many others. Do these morons not realize that bully tactics are the WORST sales tactics there are? What an idiot. This happen to anyone else?

Why are we giving them our keys to begin with? I'd have picked up my phone and told them I was calling the police.

 

[TheAviator]

Why are we giving them our keys to begin with? I'd have picked up my phone and told them I was calling the police.

Shortbun see above, they needed them to do an appraisal to give me the trade in value in case I was going to trade it in instead of selling it.

 

[ashley0139]

Thank you. Yes I think some people don't get the use of a "figure of speech" or using a word to make a point for emphasis. Like how many times does someone say, "oh I will kill you if you do that." But they weren't "literally" going to kill someone, just a figure of speech.

The point of saying literally is so that you know it's NOT a figure of speech, or exaggeration. When you use it the EXACT opposite of the way you're supposed to it completely loses its meaning.

"I died laughing" is a figure of speech. You did not literally die laughing. "I was there forever" is already an exaggeration. If you said "I was literally there forever" it completely defeats the purpose of using the word literally.

On the other hand, if you said "I was at the car dealership for like five hours yesterday" we might think you were exaggerating but if you said "I was at the car dealership for literally five hours yesterday" we know you were actually there for five hours. Correct usage.

 

[Allison]

The point of saying literally is so that you know it's NOT a figure of speech, or exaggeration. When you use it the EXACT opposite of the way you're supposed to it completely loses its meaning.

"I died laughing" is a figure of speech. You did not literally die laughing. "I was there forever" is already an exaggeration. If you said "I was literally there forever" it completely defeats the purpose of using the word literally.

This.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Many years ago, we looked at a car that we liked. We told the salesman we wanted a 4-door, automatic in a certain color. He said, yes, they had one on the lot and he would have it brought up. In the meantime, he would have our trade-in evaluated, so we gave him the keys. The car he brought up was a 5-speed, 2-door. We told him that wasn't what we wanted, and he said, "But it's the color you like." We asked for our keys back and he slowly walked back to the office. He came out and handed us a key. We said, "Uh, this isn't our key." He said, "Oh, I'll have to find yours." DH had a key on his ring and we said we were going to leave and perhaps send the police to retrieve my key. He found our key quickly after that. As we pulled away, we could see the guy being chewed out by the manager - probably for letting us leave.

 

[moon]

One word for you, Carmax. Love them, no sales pressure, really good trade-in rates.

Agree about Carmax

 

[Jennasis]

I'm not so put off by the use of the word "literally". In fact, DH and I have a game where we ring an imaginary bell every time my sister uses the word to embellish her tall tales...which is OFTEN. In the case of the thread title, the problem is the word "kidnapped". The OP was, if anything, held hostage, but certainly not kidnapped.

Here's what dictionary.com says about "literally":

literally
 Use Literally in a sentence
lit·er·al·ly
[lit-er-uh-lee] Show IPA
adverb
1.
in the literal or strict sense: What does the word mean literally?
2.
in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally.
3.
actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed.
4.
in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.
Origin:
152535; literal + -ly

Can be confused: figuratively, literally, virtually (see usage note at the current entry).

Usage note
Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning in effect, virtually, a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning actually, without exaggeration: The senator was literally buried alive in the Iowa primaries. The parties were literally trading horses in an effort to reach a compromise. The use is often criticized; nevertheless, it appears in all but the most carefully edited writing.

and for fun, here's "kidnapped":

kid·nap
[kid-nap] Show IPA
verb (used with object), kid·napped or kid·naped, kid·nap·ping or kid·nap·ing.
to steal, carry off, or abduct by force or fraud, especially for use as a hostage or to extract ransom.
Origin:
167585; kid1 + nap, variant of nab

I don't think OP was stolen, carried off or abducted.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Sounds like more of a hostage situation....

I do not agree with Google's assertion that the definition has changed. They can dumb it down all they want, it's still not right.

Me either---adding the new meaning basically negates the old meaning--because then you do not know if it actually happened or not (assuming lacking enough other information).

I know language evolves and I am good with that--but in that case the original meaning of the word (which is still used) would be pointless if the new meaning is accepted.

and just for fun, to go with this thread:

It's hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they take everything (,) literally.

 

[Bob NC]

What's flabbergasting about it, is how anyone would think that is a good sales technique. Normally a salesman is trying to persuade you to buy something, not make you so annoyed and angry you never want to do business with them. It just doesn't even make sense. Whoever teaches this is just.....I have no words.

I think their theory on this is that the more time you have invested the more likely you are to buy today.

Some posters on this site have mentioned their ploys on salesman that are basically the same thing. Get there an hour before closing and keep the salesman there for hours.

Of course when a customer does it it's a great tactic, when a salesman does it, it's sleazy.