I also was born in 1949 and recently began teaching ESL in Gernany. When I studied to grammar books to I was surprised to learn that many of the rules I learned in school have changed (thank God). I used to get in trouble for saying somebody forgot their books. Now it is correct usage. My 12th grade English teacher said that when a grammatical or spelling mistake becomes prevalent it eventually becomes accepted usage. (Of course I tell my students that no matter how many times they make a mistake it will never become correct.)

As for the verbification of nouns, that's something I'm categorically against. It's almost as bad a using a preposition to end a sentence with. Or beginning a sentence with a conjunction. Ain't it the truth?