Formality
I've been told by people over the years that I speak far too formally. And that's true, because I don't just scream LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO mid-conversation when discussing the Premier League. Maybe I should.
I'm convinced, though, there are words people associate with formality which really aren't all that. Take facade - when the ç is involved, sure, I can see an argument for pretentiousness. But the word on its own is rather common, and I don't get why I should then be accused of being professor-like after using it. Compare and contrast with Orwellian, a far more academic term which people are happy to use in speech, albeit in specific circumstances.
Speaking of which, is albeit too formal? It definitely looks rather formal, as if dragged kicking and screaming out of the Roman Senate into English, but I don't see it being all that pretentious.
A common argument is long words = wisdom (this is wrong of course). In that case, absquatulate is apparently formal or at least intelligent, but it's almost always used in a comedic context, if that.
Am I speaking too formally? I don't know, this is just how I naturally speak :/
Feel free to email me about formal language and say why it's one of the registers of all time.