Q. On Letterman's first show back, his Top 10 list had this: "I don't have a joke. I just want to remind everyone that we're on strike, so none of us are responsible for this lame list." Shouldn't it be "so none of us IS responsible"? — Barbara Wilkinson, East Haddam, Conn.

A. For a minute there, I thought you were going to ask me about the political correctness of "lame," a term of disparagement favored by teenagers. Does using "lame" to mean "inferior" show disrespect for people who have difficulty walking?

Nope. "Lame" crossed over into metaphoric use long ago, as in "lame excuse" and "lame attempt."

Speaking of lame, "none of us are responsible" isn't. Contrary to what many of us were taught in school, "none" doesn't always mean "not one"; it can also mean "not any." So it's perfectly acceptable to write or say, "None of us are responsible," or "None of the jokes are lame."

That said, you should use "none is" when you want to emphasize singularity: "Not a single one of us — not one! — not even Harry, the bespectacled little comedy writer huddled in the corner — is responsible for this lame list."

Q. Hopefully, you will answer this e-mail. I believe I am using the word "hopefully" incorrectly because it is an adverb with no verb to modify. Is my belief correct? — Ed Cook, St. Louis

A. Many purists detest the use of "hopefully" to mean "it is to be hoped," as in sentences such as, "Hopefully, you will answer this e-mail." They insist "hopefully" can mean only one thing — "in a hopeful manner," as in "You will answer this e-mail hopefully," that is, with hope.

Hopefully, people will start accepting the use of "hopefully" to mean "it is to be hoped." After all, we often use other adverbs to modify entire sentences, e.g., "Curiously, the engine was still running" or "Sadly, the rain cancelled our picnic." No one would insist these sentences mean that the engine was curious when it was running, or that the rain was sad when it cancelled the picnic.

True, "hopefully" can sometimes cause ambiguity. "Hopefully, Margot bought a lottery ticket" could mean either that Margot bought the ticket with hope, or that we hope she bought it.

Nevertheless, in most contexts, the meaning of "hopefully" is clear. Hopefully, we can put the objections to "hopefully" behind us.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.