a large number of                   % phrase you mean "many"
a substantial number of             % phrase how substantial?  most?  or just enough that can't be ignored?
an insufficient number of           % phrase "too few"
a significant number of             % phrase one is significant.   consider "prohibitive" if the number is sufficient to be problematic.
a number of                         % phrase getting the verb agreement for this useless phrase is tricky.
a number of different               % phrase use "different" (should have a high score)
a small number of                   % phrase you mean "few"
a low number of                   % phrase you mean "few"
a relatively low number of                   % phrase you mean "few"
actually                            % spelling probably doesn't add
and instead                         % phrase replace with but?
be done                             % phrase if "X of Y can be done", try "Y can be Xed"; it's already passive voice.
combining multiple                  % phrase as opposed to "combining one?"
aggregating multiple                % phrase "aggregating"
do this                             % phrase probably verbose if you use a pronoun for what you're doing
exists[ ]                           % phrase probably no better than "is", but end of sentence may be unavoidable?
if it is to                         % phrase should be "to" (usually followed by "be X")
if they are to                      % phrase should be "to" (usually followed by "be X")
in general                          % phrase unless matched with "in specific," this is usually useless; perhaps "overall"
in order to                         % phrase remove "in order" and get "to"
in the past                         % phrase past tense is likely enough.
in the way of                       % phrase should be "as"
counting the number of              % phrase counting.  dude.
is permitted to                     % phrase "may"
largely opaque                      % phrase largely does not modify opaque
makes a new                         % phrase should be "creates"
may not chose                       % phrase "may not" is future tense; "chose" is past.
one should note                     % phrase just write it.
note that                           % phrase is the rest of the paper less notable?
Note, that                          % syntax not only should you not "note that", no comma after note.
we note                             % phrase is the rest of the paper less notable?
note however that                   % phrase is the rest of the paper less notable?
it is important to note             % phrase is the rest of the paper less notable?
really                              % phrase probably doesn't add; if you think it does, use "r{}eally" -- don't change to 'in fact'
rigorously                          % spelling probably doesn't add, and I rarely do anything with rigor
the way in which                    % phrase should be "how" or "" 
the manner in which                 % phrase should be "how" or "" 
value stems                         % phrase value is derived or offered, I think.
time at which                       % phrase very likely "when"
place at which                      % phrase very likely "where"
at the time                         % phrase very likely "when"
reduced number of                   % phrase very likely "fewer" or maybe maybe "less"
is present in                       % phrase present is probably redudant, try "is in"
they all                            % phrase maybe "all xs" would be better.
easy to do                          % phrase "feasible" or "practical" might be better.
is going to                         % phrase "will".
are going to                        % phrase "will".
getting                             % phrase probably "receiving" or "querying"
those are                           % phrase see if "those X are" is clearer?
design is motivated                 % phrase "inspired by" is probably better than "motivated" for design
locations throughout the world      % phrase drop "throughout the world"
e.g., as opposed to                 % phrase if you're giving examples, you're not talking about what isn't.  drop "e.g."
in addition, we also                % phrase remove either "also" or "in addition"
other related issues                % phrase probably remove "other"
the aforementioned                  % phrase "these xs" or "this x" would be less snooty
center around                       % phrase (cook) a center is a point: "center on" is okay.
could care less                     % phrase (cook) 'really? how much less could you care?' (should be couldn't)
grouped together                    % phrase redundant.  "grouped" alone should suffice.
put together                        % phrase long: "construct" "build" or "assemble"
consistent with each other          % phrase redundant.  "consistent" suffices.
be accomplished with                % phrase try "requires" "uses" "needs"?
the lack of knowledge of            % phrase would "X is unknown" work better?
gets to know                        % phrase you mean "learns"
trying to look like                 % phrase you mean "acting", "emulating", or "mimicing"
has got to be                       % phrase "must be"
got                                 % phrase try "became" "received" ?
gotten                              % phrase try "helped" ?
live in a vacuum                    % phrase a tired metaphor that makes me want to vomit.  
positive impact                     % phrase try "benefit"
negative impact                     % phrase try "harm" or "consequences"
adverse impact                      % phrase try "harm" or "consequences"
adversely impacting                 % phrase try "harming" or "hurting"
discuss the issues of               % phrase could probably drop "the issues of" unless there's a list
the presence of                     % phrase not far from 'is', 'has', etc.
does not allow                      % phrase consider "forbids" or "prohibits"
and/or                              % phrase just say or.
there is the potential to           % phrase just say may.
there is the possibility that       % phrase just say might.
can be achieved                     % phrase maybe not so good?
find out                            % phrase perhaps determine?
in the absence of                   % phrase perhaps without?
in the presence of                  % phrase perhaps with?
set up                              % phrase perhaps create, configure, or initialize
in the face of                      % phrase can be overused.  try despite?
several times (at|of)               % phrase discouraged by Kurt.
a large degree of                   % phrase ick.
we start by first                   % phrase redundant. ("first, we" or "we start by").
in general, they are usually        % phrase redundant.
refers to the notion                % phrase define your term precisely if possible.
a significant amount of             % phrase probably just "significant"
real practical                      % phrase as opposed to imaginary practical?
people that are                     % phrase use people who are?
additional detail that we add       % phrase as opposed to additional detail that we subtract?
in some cases and not in others     % phrase "in some cases"
it is known that                    % phrase just say it.
caused due to                       % phrase "caused by"
a result of the fact that           % phrase "caused by"
can be attributed to the fact that  % phrase "is because"
a large set of                      % phrase probably don't care that it is a set.
a small set of                      % phrase probably don't care that it is a set: use 'a few' 
provides a look at                  % phrase (timid) probably mean "shows".
in most cases                       % phrase "usually"
continue into the forseeable future % phrase "continue".
for the forseeable future           % phrase drop.
fail to successfully                % phrase "fail to" is sufficient.
Clearly,                            % syntax starting a sentence with clearly confuses me.
in different continents             % phrase ON different continents, IN different countries
(we|to) handle                      % phrase use a more specific verb like address, treat, solve
handling                            % phrase use a more specific verb like addressing, treating, solving, mitigating (unless handling errors or exceptions)
For the purposes of                 % phrase "For"
We observe that                     % phrase drop.
some degree of                      % phrase "some"
in the problem of                   % phrase (contributed by rap)
conclude several things             % phrase make (draw) several conclusions
extra bonus                         % phrase "bonus"
added bonus                         % phrase "bonus"
it is important to emphasize that   % phrase use diction to emphasize.
it is possible that                 % phrase "x may y"
caused due to                       % phrase "caused by"
recent work by                      % phrase could maybe be dropped, as the cite will include the date.
identify the location of            % phrase "find"
that go across                      % phrase "that cross"
ideally, we would like              % phrase "we would like"
enabling the ability to             % phrase "supporting" or "allowing" or "permitting"
absolutely essential                % phrase essential is.
we essentially do                   % phrase essentially is a poor adverb.  "The essence of our algorithm is a..."
Essentially,                        % phrase maybe "In essence," but could also be removed.
In this section (we|I)              % phrase "In this section, we", or "In this section, I"
essentially all                     % phrase "most"
past experience                     % phrase "experience" http://www.cmu.edu/styleguide/trickywords.html
particulary difficult primarily     % phrase simplify
intuition about why                 % phrase "intuition as to why"
Recall from above                   % phrase "recall"
Further, (I|we) will also           % phrase drop further or also
respectively                        % phrase unneeded.
in terms of                         % phrase don't need this.
the extent to which                 % phrase "how much"
make sure                           % phrase "ensure"
make up                             % phrase "constitute" "compose"
make a decision                     % phrase "decide"
make a guess                        % phrase "guess"
since that time                     % phrase "since then"
choices to make                     % phrase "choices"
certain limitations                 % phrase what does 'certain' add to limitations?
will [a-z]* in the future           % phrase "will"
business entities                   % phrase "businesses"
rely primarily on                   % phrase "primarily" weakens "rely".  perhaps just "use" would be simpler.
has the potential to                % phrase can
have not yet developed              % phrase "have yet to develop"
to be effective,                    % phrase probably redundant.
provide information about           % phrase "tell how" "reveal" "expose" "disclose"
are different,                      % phrase "differ"
have already been                   % phrase "have been"? "were"?
as appropriate                      % phrase not needed?
only rarely                         % phrase "rarely" is probably enough.
is effective at                     % phrase "can"
foremost among them is              % phrase "foremost is" would be shorter.
those that have no                  % phrase those without
that have no                        % phrase "without"?
a variety of diverse                % phrase redundant
be highly valuable in               % phrase simplify.
the overall goal                    % phrase 'the goal'
sometimes an? [a-z]+ will           % phrase an x may
this is perhaps because             % phrase this may be because
adding an additional                % phrase redundant
IP protocol                         % phrase redundant
works well                          % phrase be more specific.
something                           % phrase could eliminate.
to keep from                        % phrase "to avoid"
[\.,] since (!then)                 % phrase probably you mean "because" unless you're talking about time. -- "has since" is okay.
performance characteristics         % phrase rare that characteristics adds.
takes into account                  % phrase considers
specify particular                  % phrase if specifying, particular should be redundant.
prototype implementation            % phrase "implementation" is redundant.
given a particular                  % phrase "given a" is probably enough
described in detail (in|below)      % phrase use "detailed"
relatively more                     % phrase more is already relative.
focus primarily on                  % phrase bad metaphor: subject of focus is singular.
primary focus                       % phrase bad metaphor: subject of focus is singular.
relatively more                     % phrase more is already relative.
gives [a-z]+ [a-z]+ information about % phrase use "tells" x
gives [a-z]+ information about      % phrase use "tells" x
an important question to ask is     % phrase just ask it.
an interesting thing                % phrase avoid saying something is interesting.  if you have to say it, it isn't.
checks to see if                    % phrase "checks" or "determines"
have an effect on                   % phrase "affect"
an important question to ask is     % phrase just ask it.
an interesting thing                % phrase avoid saying something is interesting.  if you have to say it, it isn't.
checks to see if                    % phrase "checks" or "determines"
we can see                          % phrase "we can see" isn't formal enough.
still remain                        % phrase "remain".
change over time                    % phrase "change"
turn into                           % phrase "become"
looking back in retrospect          % phrase pick.
ensures that there will be no       % phrase "prevents"
does have                           % phrase "has"
first step toward this              % phrase "toward this" can probably be dropped.
can potentially be                  % phrase "might be", or just "can be"
obviates the need for               % phrase just obviates x, not obviates the need for x.
it is indeed                        % phrase "it is", though still passive.
planning in advance                 % phrase when else might you plan?
a lot of                            % phrase "many"
keep in mind                        % phrase "consider" (or drop)
it is clear that                    % phrase if clear, you don't have to say it.
especially true                     % phrase true is an absolute, can't be especially true.
making it increasingly difficult    % phrase preventing, discouraging, impeding, blocking, slowing...
is potentially                      % phrase "may be"
have been [a-z]* in the past        % phrase 'in the past' is redundant with tense.
amount of time  % phrase "duration"
should ideally % phrase "should"
are of great benefit to % phrase "help" or "aid"
are of benefit to % phrase "help" or "aid" or "promote"
important here % phrase consider "relevant"
while at the same time % phrase "while" is enough.
are able to % phrase can
subvert the proper operation of % phrase subvert
speed slow % phrase speed is probably redundant.
of size no smaller than % phrase "of size" is probably redundant
of size no larger than % phrase "of size" is probably redundant
of size smaller than % phrase "of size" is probably redundant
of size larger than % phrase "of size" is probably redundant
might potentially % phrase "might"
in the context of % phrase "in" avoid, if possible.
increase the amount of % phrase probably just increase.
show the difference between % phrase compare
in addition, we also % phrase pick.
overhead efficiency % phrase huh?
have an effect on % phrase "affect"
have a signficant effect on %  phrase "affect"
