This is a great thread; abuse of the written word really pains me! I identify with all the peeves listed here and have one to add. I have noticed a growing tendency by Brits to use '
gotten' instead of the gramatically correct '
got', as in '
I've gotten some bad news' rather than '
I've got some bad news'. This was once a legitimate part of British English which has survived in American English but now seems to be crossing the Atlantic back again. I blame the ubiquitousness of American films and TV, together with the Internet, which is making these Americanisms creep in without people even noticing.