neither obsolete nor incorrect

Yes, I agree with you CapK - I was trying to make a non-judgmental observation that I had believed this to be an Americanism that falls into the class of traditional UK usage that had been left intact whereas in the UK (subject to less isolation for a 100 years of crucial development?) that now is definitely on the verge of being archaic or regional dialect. But it is merely an attractive difference - no slur intended.