Like a lot of English grammar rules, this is disappearing. Although, as a side note, The Ohio State University is always "THEE Ohio State University". I think people tend to emphasize "the" more if it is followed by a vowel, just by making the initial sound harder. "Thee" is more a word used for emphasis now, or so I've come to notice.

One other interesting word is: have. I hate the fact that it is pronounced as "haff" when you are discussing some necessary action. "I haff to go to the store" as opposed to "I have 20 dollars". I dislike doing things without thinking about them, and society has conditioned me to do this. I haff to not say haff anymore