Dear AP:
I don’t know if I can continue in this relationship. I trusted you, but you betrayed me with that trollop, “hopefully.” You know how I feel about that word. How could you do this to me?
Your change of heart was swift — much quicker than your decisions about “email” and “website.” How long did you go on defending yourself about those two, even when the whole world used the form you finally adopted? Everyone knew you would cave eventually. But “hopefully” was, sadly, a blindside. At least for me.
You might say, “The whole world used ‘hopefully’ to mean ‘I hope’ or ‘It is hoped,’ so what’s the big deal?” You and I both know that there is a huge difference between deleting a hyphen (“e-mail”) and accepting a word used improperly. Just because everyone uses it the wrong way doesn’t mean it is OK.
I held you to a high standard. I badgered students in my classes to learn your mysterious ways or face certain peril, grade-wise. Now I just don’t know if I can continue to cite you, to force adherence, to claim allegiance.
You are a sellout. I’m so disappointed in you. I’m not the only one who feels this way.
It’s been two weeks and I’m still not even close to being over this stab to the back of good grammar. It will take time. It may not happen at all.
I hope you understand.
Sincerely,
Beth
Your Former No. 1 Fan
P.S. Of course, you can make it all better and say it was just a joke. Please say you were just kidding.
Observe and report 
What’s next? Currently? Utilize? Bastards.
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Perish the thought!
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I am very amused!
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Oh I am not. At all.
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I’m still a little fuzzy on nauseous and nauseated. I thought if you felt ill, you were nauseated, but if you induced the ill feeling in another, you were nauseous.
Also, can we deal with the elimination of the word “of” when used with couple?
It’s a couple of nauseated people, not a couple nauseated people. OF. OF. OF!!!!
Oh, see now I feel nauseated, or possibly nauseous. I don’t even know anymore. Hopefully the pills I took will make it go away for a couple hours.
AHHHHH!!!!
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I totally agree with you about “of.” And you are right: You are nauseated. You do not inspire nausea in others!
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