Points well taken. I knew I’d fail miserably if I tried to explain the distinction - which apparently exists only in my head.
At least I don’t feel quite so lonesome in thinking that the ship has indeed sailed.
No, we haven’t.
That’s one i refuse to give up on. (Unlike ending sentences with prepositions, apparently. :))
As for hopefully, Bryan Garner, in his Dictionary of Modern American Usage, outlines some of Pizzabrat’s type of objections, and goes on to say that
Damn it! I knew I was gonna screw that up! How humiliatin!’ I’m mortified! Oh, well, just shows to go ya, it’s hard for me to be wrong even when I’m working at it. (Kidding, kidding…you know I kid!)
Hopefully, I won’t do it again. 
I think they’re almost interchangeable.
Or even “let’s hope” if you want to insist on drumming up unanimous hope.
Meh. I was similarly criticized by a literary purist who told me that I was using the word “unfortunately” incorrectly.
Hopefully he got over it. Unfortunately, I doubt it.
You know, the English language wasn’t handed down perfect to Alfred the Great on stone tablets. It changes. Deal with it.
This was intentional, right?
No, wouldn’t work. I’ve already conceded that the difference is either too subtle to accurately describe or completely fabricated by myself.
‘Inflammable’ means ‘flammable?’ What a country!
You got picked on a lot in high school, didn’t you, pizzabrat?
Pity.
Be sure to tune in for tomorrow’s episode, “Little Lord Flauntleroy,” starring Pizzabrat as an itinerant pie vendor who preaches eternal hell-fire for those who use the word “flaunt” when they really mean “flout.” He is conflicted when he realizes he must choose between his love of words and half-decent tips. Next week, The Great Debate: Should Americans describe dates as, say, “August 12, 2004” or “12 August 2004” as they do in other countries and some cool academic journals? Pizzabrat’s take on this may surprise you. But probably not. Next fall, be sure to catch Pizzabrat’s all-new cooking show, “Get your elbows off the table!” in which he rails at the evil cretins who put ketchup on things that don’t really need it. Now, sit back and enjoy tonight’s documentary, “Pedants and Pendants – irrevocably opposed, or just a couple of things that both tend to yank on your chain?”
Let me add another one: “importantly.” This is almost never the word you actually want. This one really grates, since the correct word, “important,” can be substituted directly, in almost every case.
While we’re at it, “presently” does not mean “now.” It means “soon,” or “in the near future.” Easy fix: use “currently” instead. Hell, just use “now!”
Hopefully, we can learn to be more tolerant of changes in the language that we have not yet come to embrace. I, too, deplore the use of “hopefully”, but it’s just one of those things that is going to happen whether we like it or not. Word meanings change, and the only true test of the “correctness” of a particular word or usage is whether or not it is used and understood by most of the speakers of the language. Vox populi, vox dei, so to speak.
This product is untested and unfinished. Inflectional morphology may be misleading. Lexical access times vary by usage. If you are having trouble with an update consult a professional technician. Those seeking a more stable language are advised to load Latin or Greek BC*.
*May not be compatible with Greek 2004.
It’s a living language, as it’s been explained to me. Therefore, these kinds of things change and transmogrify constantly. In a sense, it’s to be expected. The trick is to find the correct balance between the language as it has been, what it is now, and what it is becoming. To just “go with the flow” seems to be the best way to acheive this.
The OP is wrong.
Welcome to the world of lexical change.
Hopelessly hypocritical?
I think “hopefully” might be lost. “Comprised of” probably will be soon.
I thought “infer/imply” was still valiantly resisting? Everyone I know knows which is which. I mean, the words mean the exact freaking opposite, how hard is it?
If I can ask stupidly: how do and should people use “epitome”? When is “lay down” wrong?
When “down” is not the object of “lay”. Chickens lay eggs. You lie down.