Literally true
A famously persnickety establishment in New York City didn’t like the way some customers were fracturing the English language by packing too many “literally’s” into their speech, usually inappropriately. So The Continental banned the word.
It posted a sign alerting patrons that they would have five minutes to finish their drinks and get out if they dared to drop the word into their conversations. If they started a sentence with “literally,” they would be thrown out immediately.
“This is the most overused, annoying world in the English language and we will not tolerate it. Stop Kardashianism now,” read the new-policy statement, referring to the famous reality TV family.
The tongue-in-cheek poke at hipster speaking habits ignited a firestorm, in large part because it drew attention from media around the world. Some objectors accused the place of being sexist, noting that the most prominent Kardashians are women and presumably have their strongest following among women. Others championed the move as a noble effort.
The Continental, an East Village institution that first came to prominence during the punk age, laughed off the backlash and stuck with the policy. The establishment has nothing to lose; it had already disclosed its intention to close in a few months.
The place has been known to set unusual standards for customers. It had previously set off a kerfuffle by banning patrons wearing saggy jeans that exposed their underwear, a move that drew accusations of racism. It shrugged then, too.