Out-neutral / Advice url
Restraint-3
- Loose lips sink ships.
- Don’t get all worked up.
- Take it easy!
- Keep it under wraps.
- Don’t spill the beans.
- Grab a hold of yourself, don’t you have any self-control?
- Keep it to yourself.
- Don’t go overboard.
- You can’t take the law into your own hands.
- You got a good thing going, and I wouldn’t drop it so fast if I were you.
- Let it drop.
Restraint-3
Out-negative / Annoyed url
Don’t act innocent
- Don’t get cute.
- Don’t give me that look.
- Stop clowning around.
- Stop looking so smug.
- Laugh if you like.
- Don’t toy with me.
- Don’t play dumb with me.
- Oh it’s little miss goody two shoes.
- Wipe that smirk off your face.
- Don’t be a wise guy.
- Don’t you think that’s a bit much?
Don’t act innocent
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a student who just solved a difficult math problem
- That’s a brilliant deduction.
- You’re as smart as a whip.
- You’re really catching on.
- That’s a step in the right direction.
- You’ve got that down pat.
- Nobody can do it better.
- You should be proud of yourself.
- You’re a pretty smart cookie.
- I’ll be happy/glad to write a letter of recommendation for you.
To a student who just solved a difficult math problem
In-positive / Relief url
Getting a clean bill of health from the doctor after a major health concern
- When I saw the results, it was a sight for sore eyes.
- What a relief!
- I’m so grateful that it was only a false alarm We can breathe a sigh of relief.
- That’s what we’ve been waiting for.
- It took a bit of time, but it was certainly worth the wait.
- It was a blessedly short time before I heard the good news.
- I thank my lucky stars.
Getting a clean bill of health from the doctor after a major health concern
Out-neutral / Advice url
When someone is trying to pick a fight with you.
- Leave it alone.
- Don’t make an issue of it.
- You don’t have to answer every dog that barks.
- If you don’t let it drop, it’s going to escalate.
- Just because someone throws down the gauntlet, doesn’t mean you have to pick it up.
- Leave it well enough alone.
- Just ignore it.
- Don’t pay it any mind.
- Let it be.
- I can assure you, nothing good is going to come from this.
- Two wrongs don't make a right.
- Just walk away, and pretend that it never happened.
- You should know better than that.
- Sometimes it's better to say nothing at all in response.
- If you don't respond, it will all just blow over as if nothing happened.
- One word can lead to another, until it's a fire that's hard to put out.
- Don't make an issue out of it.
- I've seen it happen countless number of times before, and it always has the same bad, stupid ending.
- The sad thing about it, is that it's so preventable.
- Take a deep breath, don't respond, and walk away.
- Discretion is the better part of valor.
- These things lead to no good.
- Don’t get sucked into the game their playing.
- Nothing good is going to come from this.
- It always has the same bad ending, so nip it in the bud.
- A wise person thinks twice, before saying nothing.
When someone is trying to pick a fight with you.
Out-neutral url
Patience-2
- Don’t make a snap decision.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- She just needs time.
- Sleep on it.
- Sit tight!
- It takes time.
- Be patient and cool your heels, because I fully expect that she’ll come around eventually.
- Keep your shirt on.
- We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Patience-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
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-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
In-positive / Determination url
A boxer
- I can take what they dish out.
- I’m as hard as nails.
- I’ve made up my mind.
- I won’t allow it.
- I jumped in with both feet.
- I stick to my guns.
- I don’t know the meaning of the word quit.
- I’ve taken the worst that they can dish out, and I’ve still survived.
A boxer
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Someone else gets the main role in the play
- Live and let live.
- That really doesn’t surprise me.
- It’s over and done with.
- Let the better man win.
- That’s all the more reason to leave things the way they are and not make waves.
- It’s just as well.
Someone else gets the main role in the play
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