Command & Delete not sending to trash but context menu works

Hi everyone,

I feel very silly asking this question, but my DELETE functionality within finder is not working consistently anymore. I am only seeing this issue on my new MAC BOOK AIR (used for work and received just last week), and not on my macmini (that is also running Lion and I've had for a year).

Basically, I am having problems deleting files using CMD + DELETE. I hit this command and get the typically apple "ping" sound for a something that isn't working, however I can right click and hit MOVE TO TRASH and it goes immediately, which means it's definitely not a file permission/in-use/lockout issue.

Has anyone seen this before?

I feel like I did something stupid to cause this, but it only doesn't work occasionally. I have noticed it moreso right after I open or have used a file, but while CMD+DEL doesn't work, the MOVE TO TRASH does, so i'm lost.

any help please?

extremely frustrated and I've been through my System Pref settings alot in case I turned something off.

let me know!