Grammar Moses: I am literally dying to write this column

Don't let the headline worry/buoy you. It was just a bad cold.

If your daughter tells you the dress you forced her to wear to her piano recital "literally melted my face off," then it would be a good idea to find a top-notch dermatologist on the way home.

I know a good pout can look that way, but it's probably not "literally" the case.

Reader Stan Crevier of Gurnee wrote to tell me that the misuse of "literally" as an intensifier drives him figuratively nuts.

"I cannot believe the widespread misuse of the word 'literally.' I hear people so frequently say 'literally' just to emphasize how serious the situation is when in fact there is no figurative meaning for the statement being made. I even hear broadcasters on radio as well as TV misuse the word just to emphasize the importance or magnitude of the situation when there is no possible alternative (figurative) meaning to be taken."

I love a good metaphor. My advice is to use one with confidence and forget the "literally."

A concrete example

Karen Goettsche of Inverness knows a thing or two about concrete. I do, too, having made the mistake of mixing it with ungloved hands and having a neighbor who spent much of his career overseeing giant pours, such as the Joliet Speedway and the retooling of Soldier Field.

"My husband is a retired structural engineer who spent most of his career designing structures of precast concrete such as stadiums and jails," Karen wrote. "Shortly after we met, he explained to me the misuse of the word 'cement.' Cement is only one of the ingredients that make a sidewalk or other structure concrete, not unlike flour is only an ingredient in bread or cake."

I learned that the hard way 20 years ago. I decided to build a fence, so I bought a 50-pound bag of Portland cement for each post hole.

That's when I learned that Portland cement is only one ingredient in concrete. You also need sand, stone and water. Lots of all three. I basically bought enough Portland cement to build eight fences, because it constitutes - by volume - only 11 or 12 percent of concrete.

That was an embarrassing and exhausting return visit to Home Depot.

Constitution

While I'm on the subject, three words that seemingly always get mixed up are "comprise," "compose" and "constitute."

As I was writing about cement "constituting" 12 percent of concrete, I originally typed "comprised."

This trips me up all the time.

• The whole "comprises" - or consists of - its parts. "The Encyclopaedia Britannica comprises 32 volumes."

• The parts "compose" the whole. "The heart of the Cubs pitching lineup is composed of Arrieta, Lester and Lackey."

Yes, that's passive voice, which I normally dislike. Using "compose" as an active verb means to create: "Mozart composed the 'Linz Symphony.'"

• Something that makes up or is something "constitutes" it.

"This constitutes the coda to this week's column."

Write carefully!

• Jim Baumann is assistant vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbaumann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.