locus classicus for fronted "anymore"

[Alison Murie]

On Aug 22, 2009, at 12:57 PM, RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       RonButters at AOL.COM
> Subject:      locus classicus for fronted "anymore"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think Larry is right about who will accept what, but I wonder if
> there=
> =20
> isn't a simpler explanation than "scope."
>
> For me, "anymore" in all of these examples is synonymous with "these
> days"=
> =20
> and "nowadays." Is there anyone who would reject any of the
> following? My=
> =20
> instinct is no:
>
> 1. These days, the airlines are willing to take risks.
> 2. These days, the airlines are not willing to take risks.
> 3. The airlines are willing to take risks these days.
> 4. The airlines are not willing to take risks these days.
>
> If "scope" issues prevent the use of "Anymore" in (1), why do "scope
> issue=
> s=20
> not prevent the use of "These days" or "Nowadays" in (1)?
>
> My hypothesis is just that items at the beginning part of the
> sentence are=
> =20
> more noticeable, so people who themselves do not use positive
> "anymore" ar=
> e=20
> more aware of it than when it comes at the end. I'm reminded of the
> fierce=
> =20
> rejection of attitudinal "Hopefully" among certain mid-20th-century=20
> pedants--there it is at the beginning where it leaps out at them and
> is op=
> en to=20
> interpretation as a sentence adverbial:
>
> (5) Hopefully, the airlines are willing to take more risks than they
> used=
> =20
> to be.
> (6) The airlines are willing to take more risks than they used to
> be,=20
> hopefully.
>
> Example (5) seems to me to be more likely to evoke mindless
> criticism than=
> =20
> (6).

~~~~~~~~~~
As one of the mindlessly critical pedants  who still cringe at
"hopefully" abuse, in spite of knowing that it is as legitimate a
development as many other oddities in usage, I must say that Ex.(6)
seems just as bad as Ex.(5) to me.
AM

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