hopefully there will be some good answers!

September 13, 2012 5:48 PM

What are some non-religious words or phrases for expressing good wishes/thoughts for the future, besides "hopefully?"

Along the lines of "hopefully everything will work out," or "hopefully we're doing the right thing," or "hopefully that was just a traffic camera and not a speeding camera" etc...

I feel like I sound like a broken record for lack of a better term!

posted by raztaj to writing & language (24 answers total)

"With any luck, ..."
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:54 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

In a perfect world...
Positively
Posi-lutely
Zod-willing
_____-willing
Gosh,
Sheesh,
Jeez,
I am absolutely certain
In all likelyhood
Turgidly
Next,
posted by carsonb at 5:58 PM on September 13, 2012

I implore all people to always say Turgidly everything will work out from now on.
posted by carsonb at 5:59 PM on September 13, 2012 [4 favorites]

optimistically.
posted by plinth at 6:00 PM on September 13, 2012

I hope...
posted by Rock Steady at 6:04 PM on September 13, 2012

You might not consider it sufficiently different from "hopefully," but I have a strong preference for "I hope" instead of "hopefully," for grammar-related reasons.
posted by The World Famous at 6:04 PM on September 13, 2012 [5 favorites]

I think that a genuine, "I really hope this works out for you," no matter how often-repeated, is nice. Saying, "Hopefully, things will work out" sounds dull because you're not joining with the person to whom you're expressing good wishes or showing any vulnerability--you're sort of blandly saying, "The best case scenario will be that..." If you give yourself a more active role ("I hope"), it sounds more genuine.
posted by Meg_Murry at 6:05 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

I always say "fingers crossed"
posted by FakePalindrome at 6:05 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

My grandmother had a stroke a few weeks ago and recently went in to long term care. She is 91 and is probably not going to get well soon. So my card to her said something like, "I love you and want you to know I think about you every day. I'm sending you all my very best wishes."
posted by That's Numberwang! at 6:08 PM on September 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

If we're lucky...
Things have a way of working out...
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 6:12 PM on September 13, 2012

If it's not a very serious situation, you can use the names of gods that are now virtually obsolete. "We won't get a speeding ticket, Zeus willing!" (Though I suppose that one would be Hermes...)
posted by DestinationUnknown at 6:23 PM on September 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

If all goes well, ...
If fate allows, ...
Fate willing, ...
If we're lucky, ...
So long as everything goes according to plan, ...
Best-case-scenario being ...
posted by segatakai at 6:35 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

My dad also has the grammatical objections to which The World Famous alluded. I was brought up saying "Here's hoping" instead, which I think is cutely colloquial.
posted by town of cats at 6:39 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

The Universe has conspired to place us at this moment of time, What we can do we will do, what we have no control over we must accept. We can laugh or cry but we will go on. Did I tell you the one about the nun, the bear, and the jockey?
posted by pdxpogo at 6:49 PM on September 13, 2012

Just drop the hedging word. "Everything will work out."

Only use "hope" if you are specifically engaged in it, e.g., "I was watching the race and hoping you would win."
posted by michaelh at 7:04 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

By the power of Greyskull, everything will work out.
posted by The World Famous at 7:11 PM on September 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

By Grabthar's hammer!

"My hope for you is that things will work out."
"Please let me know if I can help. I am thinking of you."
"My wish for you is that the surgery will go well. Please call if there's anything I can do."
"Here's to you getting a new job soon! Looking forward to celebrating with you when it happens."
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:17 PM on September 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, and "all my good wishes are with you for the next round of chemo. Call if you need anything."
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:18 PM on September 13, 2012

My favorite of all time, courtesy of Kurt Vonnegut: "If the accident will..."

(Or to be more accurate, Vonnegut's cab driver.)
posted by iftheaccidentwill at 9:04 PM on September 13, 2012

Ideally....
I hope....
Wishing you....
posted by melesana at 9:15 PM on September 13, 2012

"If the fates allow..." (like in the song)
"Fingers crossed..."
"Knock wood..."
"Touch wood..."

I prefer "I hope" to "hopefully" for the same reasons expressed above.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 10:42 PM on September 13, 2012

nth-ing "I hope" over "hopefully"

In serious situations "best wishes" as mentioned above. But in less serious situations "hopefully this metting will go well!" I like "in an ideal world, this meeting will be great."
posted by AmandaA at 6:29 AM on September 14, 2012

I think for you the main thing is not saying "hopefully" as a crutch word, correct? If so, just try dropping it entirely as michaelh suggests. It's filler, and though you're mainly using it as a bridge to the next thought, it sounds like you're hedging or uncertain. Really, you don't need that bridge, you just need to let yourself think out loud more forcefully. "That? That was a traffic camera. Ha!"
posted by dhartung at 5:25 PM on September 14, 2012

Best wishes.
posted by davidmsc at 10:35 AM on September 15, 2012