Researchers from the universities of Portsmouth and Cambridge found that differing pronunciations of words such as strut and farm will soon merge into the south-eastern version.
And for places like Lancashire, where we pride ourselves of our idiosyncratic ways of speaking, that means many of our most beloved phrases could be under threat.
So, perhaps for posterity's sake, here are some of Lancashire's finest words.
So, perhaps for posterity's sake, here are some of Lancashire's finest words.
7. Tramping about
Was Samuel Beckett inspired by the Lancashire phrase 'tramping about' when his wrote his seminal classic about vagabonds, Waiting for Godot? No, is the answer. But it's a grand phrase nonetheless. Let's hope it doesn't pack its bags any time soon.
8. Ginnel
Nope, a ginnel is not a popular Preston band. Well, they are, but the phrase usually means an alleyway.