Interesting comments. I now have new reasons to be annoyed by this annoying phrase.

lph, "self righteous" is interesting, and exactly right. I love the story about the "But!" person.

Melalvai and pll, being from the South, I am well familiar with "Bless his heart..." as the intro to an insult. The Wall Street Journal actually did an article about this years ago. I spent an entire evening demonstrating the technique for bemused New Yorkers.

One day when I'm in a rude mood, I'm going to ask someone precisely what they are sorry for.