Originally Posted by MrPedantic

I would say the adverbs here have various functions, none of which are quantifiable in literal terms. To my ears, they express:
1. emphasis
2. earnestness
3. irony
4. faintly plaintive buttonholing

If we excise the adverb in each case, we're left with a drier statement.

The original construction seems to me to be a different case: there, we are dealing with the relationship of two qualities, rather than the degree of one.

Does your nickname have an astronomical connection, M56? (If it's not impolite to ask.)

MrP