>>Back in the early 90s I couldn't make myself understood in Boston bars if I said, "Could I have a beer, please?".
>>
>>Eventually I realised I'd have to say "Can I get a beerrrrrrrr?" in order to get served.
>>
>>Recently, since I've been going to a local sandwich shop near work, I've noticed more and more Brits saying, "Can I get ..." (of course, often without the "please" on the end). This is coupled with a recent survey I heard that fewer and fewer (or "less and less" as even the newsreaders are saying) British people are bothering to say "please" nowadays.
>>
>>BTW The dialogue of serving staff in the UK has changed over the last several years from the British, "Who's next please?" to the US "Can I help?".
>>Generally I don't need any help in a shop - just need someone to serve me.
>>
>>OK USA - we surrender.
>
> In the Toronto Star abouit a week ago, there was a story in which four (count 'em - four) paragraphs in a row began with the words:
>
>"It was her who...."

And even BBC news reporters, once the bastion of the language, are saying "... the amount of people/years/other quantifiable subjects, etc ..."