Total Phrases- 4535
1 of 402

In-neutral / Caution url

A publisher given a story that might be libelous

  1. I just can’t chance it.
  2. I’m going to treat it with kid gloves.
  3. It could blow sky high.
  4. Let’s not rush into things.
  5. I may be sitting on a time bomb.
  6. One option is for is for me to just wait it out.
  7. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
  8. It’s best if I wait until the whole thing blows over.
  9. I just don’t feel like bucking the system.
  10. I’m inclined to just tiptoe around the whole situation.
  11. I think if I got involved in any way I would be playing with fire.
  12. My gut feeling is that I should just leave it well enough alone.
  13. The fact that no one else wants to do it is not a good sign.
  14. I don't know the person involved from a hole in the wall, and I think I should regard that as a warning signal.

A publisher given a story that might be libelous

In-neutral / Caution
2 of 402

Out-positive / Encouragement url

For a friend who’s tied in a final set of a tennis match

  1. That’s the spirit.
  2. You’ve got it in the palm of your hand.
  3. You’ve got what it takes.
  4. You’ve got to come through, we’re all depending on you.
  5. We’re all rooting for you.
  6. Take the bull by the horns.
  7. You can do it.
  8. The ball is in your court.
  9. Give it your best shot.
  10. Give it the old college try.
  11. We’re all counting on you.
  12. It’s all up to you.
  13. Get a move on it, and strike the iron while it’s hot.
  14. It’s shaping up to be a moment of truth.
  15. This is your big chance, don’t blow it.

For a friend who’s tied in a final set of a tennis match

Out-positive / Encouragement
3 of 402

In-positive / Realizing url

Hearing that a company went bankrupt

  1. That was patently obvious to anyone who gave it more than two seconds of thought.
  2. The secret is out.
  3. There’s been trouble brewing for a long time.
  4. I saw it right off the bat.
  5. Another one bites the dust.
  6. From what I understand, this is what really happened.
  7. The fact is I’ve been expecting that to happen all along.
  8. In the end, what do they have to show for it?
  9. Seeing is believing.
  10. I had a hunch that that’s what was happening.
  11. We should have seen it coming.
  12. I’m well aware of it, but I denied it to myself.
  13. It’s the same old problem all over again.
  14. That’s it in a nutshell.

Hearing that a company went bankrupt

In-positive / Realizing
4 of 402

In-neutral / Caution url

Thinking of entering an abandoned house

  1. I’m not running so fast to go there.
  2. It just doesn’t sit right with me.
  3. In my opinion I’ll be lucky if I survive by the skin of my teeth.
  4. I sense that this might be something I might live to regret.
  5. I’m going to take one step at a time.
  6. Something undesirable could happen at any time at the drop of the hat.
  7. I think I’ve gotten about as far as I’m going to get.
  8. I’m on the look-out.
  9. Hold your horses.
  10. I can’t chance it.
  11. Are you crazy, why on earth would I ever try to do something like that?

Thinking of entering an abandoned house

In-neutral / Caution
5 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Can you see my viewpoint?

  1. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?
  2. Do you read me?
  3. Am I getting through to you?
  4. Do I make myself clear?
  5. Are we on the same page?
  6. Do you get the picture?
  7. Do you know what I mean?
  8. Do you see what I mean?
  9. How does that grab you?
  10. Will you consider it?
  11. Do you understand?
  12. How can I make you understand?
  13. You can understand, can’t you?
  14. Catch my drift?
  15. Will that present a problem?
  16. Does that ring a bell?
  17. Will you think about what I said?
  18. First off, let’s make sure that we’re on the same page.
  19. I’m just letting you know that this is how I see the situation.
  20. I'm just trying to be helpful.

Can you see my viewpoint?

Out-neutral / Negotiating
6 of 402

Out-neutral / Advice url

Honesty

  1. The ends don’t justify the means.
  2. Tell it like it is.
  3. Keep it clean.
  4. You should set a good example.
  5. Honesty is the best policy.
  6. You can’t go wrong by being straight.
  7. Be a straight-shooter.

Honesty

Out-neutral / Advice
7 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Express your viewpoint

  1. Speak now or forever hold your peace.
  2. You go right ahead.
  3. Speak for yourself.
  4. Shoot from the hip.
  5. Why didn’t you say something?
  6. Put your money where your mouth is.
  7. That’s your opinion.
  8. You can talk to your heart’s content.
  9. Cat got your tongue?
  10. Judge for yourself.
  11. You’re a free agent.
  12. If you’ve get something to say, say it.
  13. Run it by me again.
  14. Come on, out with it.

Express your viewpoint

Out-neutral / Negotiating
8 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Let’s work things out-2

  1. May I offer a suggestion?
  2. One hand washes the other.
  3. That’s why we’re here.
  4. What do we have to lose?
  5. One for all and all for one.
  6. I’m saying this for your ears and your ears only, and I hope it doesn’t go beyond the two of us: mum’s the word.
  7. No strings attached.
  8. It’s a two way street.
  9. That’s no big deal.
  10. You know very well that I take this very seriously and that I can be trusted to keep under wraps what you just told me in confidence.
  11. It will all sink in eventually, when this is all behind us.
  12. We can work it out.

Let’s work things out-2

Out-neutral / Negotiating
9 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Feeling depressed

  1. Things have gotten completely out of control.
  2. I’m not feeling well now, but hopefully I’ll feel a lot better in the near future.
  3. I’ve been better.
  4. I have to figure it out for myself.
  5. You’re catching me at a bad time.
  6. I’m having a tough time.
  7. Recently I’ve been bouncing around like a yo-yo.
  8. I’ve had my ups and downs.
  9. I'm not myself.
  10. I have a lot on my mind.
  11. I never said it was going to be any different from the way it turned out.
  12. I never saw myself that way before.
  13. I feel like a bundle of nerves.
  14. I feel like a bump on a log.
  15. If you only knew what I’ve been through.
  16. I’ve been feeling under the weather.
  17. What I've been through has really knocked the stuffing out of me.
  18. Whenever I’m nervous, I tend to clam up.
  19. After a while, I just ran out of steam.

Feeling depressed

In-negative / Explaining
10 of 402

In-positive / Determination url

Musician practicing

  1. I have my work cut out for me.
  2. When I put my mind to it I can do anything!
  3. It’s a tough road ahead, but mark my word, I'm going to make it.
  4. I’m determined to show the true grit that is part of my DNA.
  5. Let’s rise to the occasion.
  6. I am coming up to speed, slowly but surely.

Musician practicing

In-positive / Determination
11 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Try to negotiate correctly & fairly-2

  1. Don’t beat around the bush.
  2. You’re playing hard to get.
  3. I’m going to hold you to it.
  4. By the look in your eyes you look as if your mind is a thousand miles away.
  5. You’re putting words in my mouth.
  6. Don’t hold it over my head.
  7. You’re stretching it a bit.
  8. Is there something you’re not telling me?
  9. Face up to it.
  10. Would you slow down, I can’t get a word in edge wise.

Try to negotiate correctly & fairly-2

Out-neutral / Negotiating
12 of 402

Out-negative / Annoyed url

You are wrong-1

  1. You are sadly mistaken.
  2. You’re such a drag.
  3. You are completely out of line.
  4. That wasn’t called for.
  5. That’s the pot calling the kettle black.
  6. That’s going too far.
  7. Wherever you go trouble follows.
  8. You’re adding insult to injury.
  9. You’re dead wrong.
  10. You’ve got some explaining to do.
  11. If you think that, you’ve got another guess coming.
  12. That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of.
  13. Don’t make me laugh.

You are wrong-1

Out-negative / Annoyed