Jock Scot - we would say the same thing on this side of the pond. The only reason I know any of this is when working for the US Department of Defense I was an instructor in one of their training schools. The idiots above me assigned me to help develop a course in non-bureaucratic writing. The group I was with was a DOD audit agency and the reports that were being written could not be read or understood because of the bureaucratic language. The principle was why use a $10 word when a $25 dollar word was available and more obscure. I had a friend with a Doctorate in English and one day over a beer I asked about "the". Apparently, I had had too many beers by then.

In my way of thinking is it is correct English if the person you are speaking or writing to understands you. It may not be grammatically correct but only a instructor of English would care.

So are you going to be wearing the kilt tonight?