ObDisclaimer: I'm no monk, I'm relatively beginner.

I can't imagine that "my $copy=$array->copy;" is more ambiguous than "my @copy = @array;". The former is IMHO clearer conceptually, the latter is the more ambigiuous to my beginner brain. If I need to copy, I'll be glad to make it explicit with some more typing. Otherwise knowing everything is a ref "normally" would be just peachy for me.