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-neutral / Acceptance url
Losing a bet at the casino
- Them’s the breaks.
- I’ll make the best of it.
- Eventually I’m going to have to face the music.
- I’ve learned my lesson.
- That just goes to show you.
- I should have seen that coming a mile away.
Losing a bet at the casino
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You’re not negotiating well-2
- Did that ever occur to you?
- I was afraid you’d do that.
- You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.
- Don’t keep harping on it.
- Why did you bring it up in the first place?
- That’s a cop out.
- We’re finally talking about something important, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t change the subject.
- Who asked you?
- That’s the oldest trick in the book.
- You let the cat out of the bag.
- You cried wolf once too often.
- If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
- Come on, spill the beans.
- You act like someone with a chip on his shoulder.
- You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.
- You’re acting like you have a chip on your shoulder.
- You give me no choice but to do what I feel is my obligation to do.
You’re not negotiating well-2
In-negative / Desperation url
Can’t pay the mortgage
- Things have gotten totally out of hand.
- I’m having trouble making ends meet.
- What am I going to do?
- Sometimes I feel that it's all going to be downhill from here.
- I hope I haven’t blown it.
- Nowadays, it’s hard to make ends meet.
- I’m hanging by a thread.
- If this goes on I’m going to lose my mind.
- I was up all night worrying about it.
- I feel down and out.
- Sometimes I tell myself, ‘Don’t even bother’.
- When I hope that things will get better, I realize: don’t hold your breath.
- I feel like I’m beating a dead horse.
Can’t pay the mortgage
Out-neutral / Advice url
Let's help each other
- We're all in this together.
- One for all, and all for one.
- United we stand, divided we fall.
- We will either hang together, or hang separately.
- With teamwork we can accomplish anything.
- We will all benefit if we strive to see each other's point of view.
- We should approach this as a family, with one mind, and one heart.
- One good turn deserves another.
Let's help each other
In-negative / Explaining url
Hitting the neighbor's dog with a car
- It took me completely by surprise.
- It came out of the blue.
- It really threw me for a loop.
- I take full responsibility for it.
- The experience has shaken me to the core.
- I had to make a split second decision.
- I had to save my own skin.
- It scared me half to death.
- It really shook me up.
- It’s a very unusual occurrence.
- How do you think I feel?
- Do you think I did it on purpose?
- I don’t know what to say.
- When push comes to shove, it’s not something I could have prevented.
- It was a freak accident.
- It happened in a blink of an eye.
- It sent shivers up my spine.
Hitting the neighbor's dog with a car
Out-positive / Apology url
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
- I only wish I could have done more.
- I did the best I could.
- I’m sorry, my hands are tied.
- It might not make any sense to you, but that’s what they decided, and I hope you understand.
- I’m sorry that it’s not the answer you hoped for.
- My apologies that it took me longer to get the answer than I thought it would.
- I hope that we’ll be able to give you a better answer next time.
- I’m hoping this is something you can live with for the time being.
- I was told to explain to you that it’s due to circumstances beyond their control.
- Please give us a chance to make it up to you next time.
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
Out-positive / Friendship url
Secretive
- I told you all I can tell you.
- You can trust me, I won’t breathe a word about it to anyone, and it won’t go beyond here.
- Remember, not a word about this to anyone.
- I won’t tell a soul.
- A little birdie told me.
- That’s just between us.
- I’ll let you in on a secret.
- Keep it to yourself.
- Your secret is safe with me.
Secretive
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
- It’s a prescription for disaster.
- What good would that be?
- How would that help?
- I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
- What’s the point?
- It won’t last for long before it blows up.
- Does that make sense to you?
- I doubt that very much.
- True to form, you’re up to your old tricks.
- I should have expected you to come up with a hare-brained idea like that.
- Do the ends justify the means?
- No, no, that won’t do at all.
- You’ve got another guess coming.
- The idea just smells, because honesty is the best policy.
- I’m going to look the other way, and pretend I didn’t hear that.
- I imagine you would, but don’t expect me to get caught up in your shenanigans.
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
In-positive / Determination url
Head of a political party
- The reason most people do not accomplish more is that they do not attempt more.
- We still have a ways to go.
- The show must go on.
- We have our work cut out for us.
- We have an image to uphold.
- You have to cut through the red tape.
- It’s time to shift into high gear.
- My lips are sealed.
- There’s nothing that stick-to-itive-ness can’t accomplish.
- It’ll happen before you know it.
- You ain’t seen nothing yet.
- Greatness is within our reach.
Head of a political party
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You’re not negotiating well-3
- That’s a low blow.
- I have to watch you like a hawk.
- I feel like I’m being rail-roaded into it.
- Who are you trying to kid?
- I don’t trust you any more than I can throw you.
- Now you’re showing your true colors.
- Don’t point the finger at me.
- I’ll give you one more chance.
- Why open up old wounds?
- I know how you operate.
- Where do you come from saying something like that to me?
- Wait just one cotton pickin’ minute.
- That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.
- I suspect that you might have an ace up your sleeve.
You’re not negotiating well-3
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a friend, both of you considering starting a business together
- This is a golden opportunity to make the most of the situation for the long haul.
- Success is sometimes a long drawn-out process.
- Let’s take one step at a time, and climb one mountain at a time.
- As they say, it’s not the mountain in front of us that makes us hesitate, but the pebble in our shoe.
- At any rate it’s worth a try.
- Now we’re cooking with gas.
- The rest is up to us.
- There’s no harm in trying.
- Let’s put our mind to it, and there’s nothing we can’t do.
- I think we’re onto something.
- This work is tailored to our needs and abilities.
- It will happen before you know it.
To a friend, both of you considering starting a business together