In-positive / Determination url
Manager with a new employee
- The early bird catches the worm.
- I won’t take no for an answer.
- Let’s skip the formalities, and cut to the chase.
- I'm going to get right down to brass tacks.
- Let’s get a move on it.
- A word to the wise is sufficient.
- It’s just not done that way around here.
- Do whatever it is you have to do.
Manager with a new employee
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Try to negotiate correctly & fairly-1
- Somehow you’re making me feel guilty about what we both know took place out of the blue.
- Come on, out with it, spill the beans, and fess-up, because to tell you the truth I expected it all along.
- Please, hear me out!
- You couldn’t possibly object.
- Give me a fighting chance.
- You owe me that much.
- You just don’t want to admit it.
- Come on, be real!
- Please do your utmost to pay attention, and keep your mind on the subject.
- Let me be the judge of that.
- Be straight with me.
- Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes?
Try to negotiate correctly & fairly-1
Out-positive / Agreement url
Do you mind if I take the car to shop for food?
- That’s fine with me.
- By all means.
- Be my guest.
- That’s cool with me.
- I don’t mind at all.
Do you mind if I take the car to shop for food?
In-negative / Doubt url
To someone who claims that a swamp is great real estate
- That’s going too far.
- That’s not very likely.
- Don’t make me laugh.
- You’ve got to be kidding.
- Do you really believe that?
- I rather doubt it.
- I don’t believe it for one minute.
- Do you expect me to believe that crap?
- That doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of being successful.
- That’s a hare brained idea.
- It’s the same old run-around.
- I don’t buy it.
- It sounds kind of fishy.
- He’s stretching the truth.
- I wouldn’t put it past you.
- Do you expect me to believe that?
- I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.
To someone who claims that a swamp is great real estate
In-neutral / Acceptance url
After an operation
- It’s just going to take time.
- I’m feeling as well as can be expected given the circumstances.
- I think for a while I’ll just have to get used to living with it hanging over my head.
- I’ll take each day as it comes.
- I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- It is what it is.
- I can’t complain.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- It takes some getting used to.
- At first after the operation, I felt achy all over, but I recovered bit by bit, day by day, slowly but surely.
- It could have been a whole lot worse.
- Life has its challenges.
After an operation
In-negative / Desperation url
Lost in the woods 1
- I’ve run out of steam.
- The situation is so grim.
- The situation was so dangerous that I thought it was curtains.
- It’s no use.
- I’m worried to death.
- I feel sick like a dog.
- I can’t cope with it.
- I’m scared to death.
- Time is running out.
- It’s all a nightmare.
- I’m never going to make it.
- I’m reaching the end of my rope.
- Don’t even bother.
Lost in the woods 1
Out-neutral / Advice url
Honesty
- The ends don’t justify the means.
- Tell it like it is.
- Keep it clean.
- You should set a good example.
- Honesty is the best policy.
- You can’t go wrong by being straight.
- Be a straight-shooter.
Honesty
In-positive / Realizing url
Seeing who won the election
- It’s all coming together.
- It’s long overdue.
- The results are in, and no one is more surprised that I am.
- That explains everything.
- I could feel it in my bones.
- Stop the presses, we finally see the naked truth.
- I shouldn’t be surprised.
- That’s just what I thought.
- Now the truth comes out.
Seeing who won the election
In-negative / Confusion url
In the middle of riot
- What the hell is going on around here?
- I just don’t get it.
- It’s a free for all.
- What’s it all about?
- I just don’t know what to make of it.
- Things are happening fast and furious.
- We better high tail it out of here.
- I’ve never seen anything like this.
- What in the world is going on?
In the middle of riot
In-negative / Doubt url
Someone offers you original painting for 1/10th the price
- I suspect that you have something up in your sleeve.
- Give me a break!
- You must be kidding me.
- What’s the catch?
- I’ve heard that song and dance story before.
- Do you mean to tell me that you’re up to your old tricks again?
- Are you trying to pull a fast one?
- That sounds too good to be true.
- What do you take me for?
Someone offers you original painting for 1/10th the price
Out-positive / Agreement url
How would you like to eat in the Italian restaurant tonight?
- I think that would be a good idea.
- Whatever you want.
- It's as good a place as any.
- We're thinking along the same lines.
- I'll drink to that.
- I'd be delighted.
- Whatever you want is fine with me.
- Sound’s good to me.
- Let’s play it by ear.
How would you like to eat in the Italian restaurant tonight?
In-negative / Disappointment url
Dropping out of Law School
- I didn’t accomplish as much as I thought I would.
- So far I haven’t seen much progress.
- I’m batting zero.
- It’s nobody’s fault but my own.
- It’s not going anywhere, so why continue?
- I’m dropping out before it gets any worse.
- With my track record, I don’t think I have much of a choice.
- I’m a bit disappointed in my performance.
- I fully expected that I could have done better than I did.
- I just wasn’t good enough.
- It was just beyond my reach.
- It’s been an unmitigated disaster.
Dropping out of Law School