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As long as we're kvetching about grammar, I'll give you my pet peeve. I've been hearing this affectation for at least five years now, probably much longer than that. It first started with media talking heads and has subsequently spread into almost universal usage.

"Last night, a car speeding down the interstate kills a family of...." No, I'm sorry, The accident happened last night and the past tense is appropriate; IE "The family was killed last night..." In a feeble attempt to make everything into breaking news we have thrown out the past tense. This sloppy habit has spread into everyday conversational English. Occasionally I've even caught my wife, a "language arts major" doing it!

To really compound the verbal felony, substitute "goes" for "says" or "said" and you wind up with "He goes 'lets grab lunch', and I go 'sure'!" What on earth has happened to our beautiful, rich, colorful, subtle, dare I say 'nuanced' language.

I fear it's been assassinated by adolescents.

Regards,
GtG

To really compound the verbal felony, substitute "goes" for "says" or "said" and you wind up with "He goes 'lets grab lunch', and I go 'sure'!"

Or how about this:

"He's like 'lets grab lunch', and I'm like 'sure'!" I've heard that usage a few times too many.