the.com/literalism
Reading the menu and trying to eat the paper.
means The insistence on taking words at exact face value, ignoring intent, metaphor, or context.
from From Latin littera, letter — sticking to the letter while the spirit quietly leaves the room.
Comedy fuelMost jokes die instantly under literal interpretation.
Law's habitCourts argue endlessly over plain meaning versus intent.
Translation trapWord-for-word renderings often mangle the actual message.