[Skywalk]

Actually, no they don't have the same meanings.

No one is looking down at the "unwashed masses" or "king of the hill types." But to assert that in science hypothesis and theory have essentially the same meaning is ridiculous.

[mdmathis6]

I understand the esoteric difference between a working hypothesis(essentially a "supposition of order" or road-map of reason to provide an orderly acquisition of data for testing and formation of knowledge by inductive and deductive means) and settled theory(accepted working axioms gained by observation of data via the successful working out of and reproducible experimentation with various WORKING HYPOTHESES as relates to observed data phenomena). Settled theorems may have parts(or holes) that are not wholly demonstrable by logically observed data; though applications of whole theorems may be useful in explaining a given phenomena and even be useful in creating new knowledge, inventions, medical benefits, that advance our knowledge and standard of living.
Now I just said a mouthful! We have working theories of gravity, physics, light ect each made up of hypotheses supported by observable data. It is given that we don't know everything about each of the above, how it all works, ect but we know enough to predict behavior of each under give conditions. The atomic bomb worked even though Einstein had incorrect data regarding the transit of venus as it related to his theory of relativity. When the corrections were made, his theory was merely strenthened, not destroyed.

The arguement with accepting evolution as settled theory(hence the layman's term "just a theory") is that there are too many unsupported hypotheses in the thought and experimental processes regarding evolution to even call it settled theory. We can't really reproduce the conditions of early earth though we make suppositions of what is was like, and we can manipulate carbon and enzymes in a lab. Even the notion of how to define what evolution is, is being fought over by the pre-eminent scientists in the field.
All theories are considered "falsifialbe" which is different from "fact". I think that is what the hick religious trailer park crowd have in mind when they say "evolution is not a fact, it is just a theory, and not a very good one at that!

[UnklGene]

Now then, Gene. See all the trouble you've generated?
( "Here's another fine mess you've gotten us into,
Stanley!" )