What special implication does ‘totally’ have in “He’s totally going to call you”?

Question

There was the following sentence in an article titled, “Like, Degrading the Language? No Way” in New York Times (April 5), in which the author says Americans are moving backward on language:

“(Like the use of ‘like’) the use of “totally” mines the same vein. “He’s totally going to call you” does not mean “He is going to call you in a total fashion.” It has a more specific meaning, although only handled subconsciously by speakers, as so much of language is. “He’s totally going to call you” contains an implication: that someone has said otherwise or that the chances of it may seem slim at first glance but in fact aren’t. As with “like,” “totally” tracks and nods to the opinions of others. It’s totally civilized.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/opinion/sunday/like-degrading-the-language-no-way.html?hp&rref=opinion

Although the author explains “totally going to call you” contains an implication of someone having said otherwise, I’m not still clear with the meaning of “He’s totally going to call you.”

What does it mean? He’s totally going to call you “what”?

How does “He’s totally going to call you.” differ from “He’s going to call you.”? Is this expression (use of totally) ubiquitous today as the author asserts?

Answer 1

totally - adverb: completely; absolutely.

In my experience, young people often like, among other thing, to belong and to hyperbolize.

A sense of belonging can be created by having a jargon; young people pick up on and use jargon to self-identify. The further from the speech of their parents, often the better.

Totally serves both purposes; it's jargon, and it's hyperbolic. Someone is into you? He's totally into you. Someone is going to call? He's totally going to call. It's totally worth using it for everything.

Edited to add: I have a minor disagreement with the NYT writer. He sounds like a grumpy old grammar teacher complaining about how the language has gone downhill, as the writer of this book: Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care. I don't think totally as an implication of the opposite. If there is any hint of that, it's in the fact that totally can be used to reassure.

Don't say that; Hunter totally thinks you're the one.

Answer 2

It means that it is absolutely certain he is going to call you, unless it's said ironically, in which case hell will freeze over before he calls you. This is valley speak, for sure.

Answer 3

What does it mean? He’s totally going to call you “what”?

This is call in the sense of “(tele)phone, place a (tele)phone call to”, so there's no additional complement. (Compare “He’s totally going to e-mail you.”)

How does “He’s totally going to call you” differ from “He’s going to call you”?

(FTFY) It's an expression of certainty and emphasis, similar to absolutely, certainly, really, and truly.

Note that, although the writer you quote does not mention this, it's frequently used sarcastically or ironically: without context, I would take “He’s totally going to call you” to mean “Sorry, but he’s probably not going to call you!”

Answer 4

More than just being an expression of certainty and emphasis, in this case “totally” implies reassurance in a way that saying “He's certainly going to call you” would not. While I cannot be absolutely certain without more context, it is likely that the proposition “He's going to call you” is something that the listener would be inclined to doubt, which is why the speaker felt it necessary to add the extra measure of reassurance.