Great topic.. so many accurate posts!.
I have worked Toronto, Geneva and now Bahrain ACC. Never in my controlling career have I heard the phrase "confirm" so often. Everytime I hear this I want to reach through the headset cord and strangle the pilot on the other end. It happens much to often, it was not like this in Canada nor in Europe. Another one that kills me is "ABC requesting descent", I give the descent then the pilot says CONFIRM that's our discretion. I freaked on a guy last night for doing this. I said if you request it you better start down now. Another one yesterday "ABC descend NOW to FL260" pilot comes back reading "ABC cleared when ready to FL260". I said.. sir that's not what I said,... now is now! Working out here has shortened my fuse, I have absolutely no patience left. The lack of frequency discipline and profesionalism here in the gulf is unreal, I tell my former collegues back in Canada about this and they don't believe me. I am not painting everyone with the same brush but it's the few who give all you pilots out here a bad name.
You will all be glad to know that the Canadian guy blasting pilots on Bahrain frequency only has another 18 shifts to go and he's going back to Canada for good !
Cheers to all!