disappearing prepositions

[Robert Wachal]

When I was growing up a loooong time ago, if someone died, it was said that
they "passed away". Now everyone seems to say, "they passed".

We used to say "pissed/shit in their pants," now it's "pissed/shit their
pants"

Once people spoke of "being graduated from college', later "graduating from
college"; now it's "graduated college".

And what does the new preposition 'absent' have to offer that 'without'
lacks?