"Dave Cornwell" wrote in
. uk:

Apologies for this but who else is there to bounce it off? I've
recently noticed among certain friends and family that they frequently
reply with the word "exactly" on those (rare) occasions when they
agree with what I am saying. It is becoming as annoying as the "rising
intonation" at the end of sentences which was seems to have had its
heyday. Is anyone else noticing this or is it a local thing?

I must admit I hadn't really registered the "exactly" thing. The one that I
find *really* noticeable is the near-total disappearance of the word
"might" in sentences such as:

Had it been raining, he might not have gone out that day.

These days, almost everybody seems to say:

Had it been raining, he *may* not have gone out that day.

That always sounds wrong to my ears, though I understand that the OED
allows it.

--
Bewdley, Worcs. ~90m asl.