I’ve written more than a few blog posts about the importance of adhering to certain rules, especially academic writing, but even in more informal writing.
I’m not about to tell you to turn around and ignore all that. Again, especially in academic writing. But I do want to point out something important. All languages evolve. There is almost no language that is the same 400, 500 years ago, as it is now. In some cases, it might seem like a completely different language.
The trick is, ALL languages evolve. English is no different. Something begins as a slang word or phrase. Or an incorrect word (more on that below). Then it becomes more common. Then it becomes ubiquitous and dictionaries add the word. A decade or two later, no one can remember it was once barely used slang and probably discouraged in use. It’s the nature of language. The trick is to find the middle ground. Don’t be in a hurry to effect change yourself, but once very common, don’t be afraid to use it either.
Where my real opinion differs from the advice above is where incorrect words morph into something. I have two examples. The first is nauseous. Once upon a time, that word meant something smelled or was offensive to a particular person. “I wish you would take a shower. You make me nauseous.” It meant you were offended, not necessarily that you were feeling sick from the smell. But people at some point began saying nauseous when they meant nauseated. “I feel so nauseated from overeating, I want to throw up.” Two very different meanings here. But once someone begins saying it wrong, others will follow, even if constantly corrected. Eventually everyone ignores the correction. And the wrong word continues. Until finally, dictionaries give it up, and decide the word has evolved. And they add it, at which point its evolution is official.
The other example is literally. It’s a pet peeve of mine, and I will often say something snarky when I hear someone say it. Because nine times out of ten, when you hear that expression–or say that expression yourself–what is meant is exaggeration, not the literal truth. “I literally ate an entire box of donuts” means you ate every single one. At least, that’s what it is supposed to mean. But it has morphed into “I didn’t literally eat them all, but I’m so sick to my stomach I might as well have.” The problem as I see it is when you expect people to know the difference between your exaggeration and the exact truth. You’ve just run a marathon and you tell people that you just ran 50 miles. What you mean is that you feel so tired it’s as though you ran 50 miles. And you can probably count on people knowing what you mean. But there are millions of things that they won’t know. I’m fighting a lost battle here; the dictionary recognizes hyperbole as an accepted use of the word. But I hate it, and when it comes to writing, you could well confuse the reader.
My advice is err on the side of caution. If something is still slang, it may be better kept to dialog. Or minimized in the narrative. If something is in the dictionary, just make sure you are using it correctly, and preferably, without potentially confusing your readers, who won’t thank you and won’t think you’re clever.