Years ago, anthropologist Grant McCracken surmised that Americans have changed how we use the word "really" from one that is "spoken with the upward lilt of a question" to one that "usually comes with an emphatic downturn in tone".
What do you mean by "really" really?: that American culture is under renovation?
It's definitely worth your time to read. Really.
(I love this part of one of the comments:
I think of "new" really being said before by Mom's.
Kid:"I didn't knock the lamp over, an alien did it!"
Mom:"Really.")
Personally, I think we should all aspire to have at least one "first-really" moment daily in our lives. Those are the ones made from childlike discovery. We should never assume to know everything that is going to happen. That would make us presumptuous and second-guessing - making us a "second-really" person. Those people should have no friends.
Really.
