Q. Is it ever okay to use further to denote a greater distance? I know that farther is technically correct for this scenario, but I also know that this distinction is fairly recent, and that some great writers have used further to denote a greater distance.
A. See CMOS 5.254, under “farther; further”: “The traditional distinction is to use farther for a physical distance {we drove farther north to see the autumn foliage} and further for a figurative distance {let’s examine this further} {look no further}. Although it’s a refinement of slight importance, connoisseurs will appreciate it.”