Phrases that really bug me -- part deux.

Over here, Five of Five has a nifty little list of really grating phrases, to which I will add my own selection of utterances I would like to see condemned to some particularly remote corner of hell.

"At this time ... " OK, to be fair, that's not as annoying as "At this point in time ...". But then there's "At this particular point in time," which makes one long ever so briefly for the possibility of capital punishment.

"I appreciate that question." Typically uttered by a spokesperson who most certainly does not appreciate it and, if he could, would arrange to have you knee-capped by two large individuals named Guido and Lorenzo but, to his chagrin, that's still against the law in some places.

"For your convenience ...", generally followed by something like, "... this branch has been closed. You can now do all your banking at our other branch, five blocks away." And this is for my convenience how exactly?

"For the record ..." As if everything up to this point was just some good-natured bantering but we're getting serious now so I want to make sure everyone listening takes note of this. Note to speaker: Do you really think anything you say is of such import that someone suddenly needs to be warned to turn on their recorder, so that the next few words that come out of your mouth can be transcribed accurately for posterity or the inevitable time capsule? Really ... get over yourself. All the rest of us have.

"... a high rate of speed ..." Don't make me have to explain this, OK?

MORE IRRITATIONS:

"Let me be perfectly clear." Well, I'm glad you warned me up front, I was expecting the usual ambiguous, dissembling incoherency. Glad we got that out of the way.

"Now, CC ... can I call you CC?" No, you can call me sir, you presumptuous, snot-nosed, little putz.

Your turn.