New York Bar Bans Customers Who Say 'Literally'

Shot glasses Dreamstime
Elizabeth Licata|

Continental, an East Village dive bar famous for selling five shots "of anything" for $10, has decided to take a bold stand against the word "literally," of all things. According to a sign posted in the bar's window, the staff will boot anybody who uses the word "literally" from the premises, on the grounds that it is "annoying" and they just won't tolerate ungrammatical language in the dive bar.

Continental has occupied its famous space near St. Marks' Place for 27 years, and in its heyday was known for hosting acts like The Ramones and Iggy Pop. More recently it's been known for its shots deal and $2 beer offers. Continental has filed for bankruptcy twice and is scheduled to close for good on June 30, 2018, but for the last few months of its existence, the grimy dive bar could be a haven for those who cannot stand to hear people say the word "literally." According to a sign in the bar's window, it will be kicking out any customers who commit that grammatical faux pas.

According to Grub Street, the sign was spotted by musician Eden Brower and shared with the East Village blog EV Grieve.

According to the sign, customers who say the word "literally" inside Continental will be given five minutes to finish their drink, and then they must go. A customer who begins a sentence with "I literally," will be required to leave immediately.

"This is the most overused, annoying word in the English language and we will not tolerate it," the note reads. "Stop Kardashianism now!"

The primary meaning of the word "literally" is to say that something actually happened. In informal speech, however, the word "literally" is often used as an exaggeration designed to emphasize something, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. A person might say, "I literally died of shock when they kicked me out of the bar for saying 'literally,'" for example. It's similar to the way a person might say, "I've been waiting a million years for my drink."

Owner Trigger Smith told Time Out New York the sign was mostly a joke and he did not actually intend to enforce it, because the bar would be empty if he did. He really does hate the widespread use of the word "literally," though. For more controversy, check out the 17 most controversial travel incidents of 2017.

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