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
In-positive / Confidence url
Preparing for a test
- I can do it with my eyes shut.
- I know it like the back of my hand.
- I’ve got it under control.
- I think I’ll be able to muddle through for a while.
- I made a lot of progress.
- I can cope with it.
- It will be a breeze.
- I'm holding my own.
- My head is still above water.
- So far so good.
- Every few hours I just run out of steam and need to rest awhile until I get my energy back.
- I’m holding my own.
Preparing for a test
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
I’m trying to see your viewpoint-3
- That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said all day.
- Tell me something I don’t already know.
- I know where you’re at.
- Don’t keep me in the dark.
- What do you mean by that?
- Why do you say that?
- Tell me in layman’s terms.
- How can you say that?
- What do you think about it?
- What makes you say that?
- There’s nothing good you can say about it?
- What does that have to do with it?
- Is that what you’re driving at?
- I don’t know if I’ve answered your question or not.
- I’m bending over backwards to see things your way.
I’m trying to see your viewpoint-3
Out-neutral / Advice url
Restraint-2
- Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
- Don’t make matters worse.
- Keep it under your hat.
- Get a hold of yourself.
- Just try not to go overboard doing it, both in terms of time and money.
- Get control of yourself.
- Button your lip.
- Try and get a hold of yourself.
- I know that may feel good to speak your mind and get things off your chest, but sometimes it’s better just to bite your tongue.
Restraint-2
In-positive / Realizing url
Realizing that the maid has been stealing money
- There’s no way around it.
- I hate to admit it.
- It slipped out of her mouth and she showed his true colors.
- I now see her as she really is.
- I’ve had a hunch for the longest time.
- It’s finally out in the clear for everyone to see.
- She finally let the cat out of the bag and told us what really happened.
- I heard it through the grape vine.
- I suspected as much.
- I should have known.
- I know it sounds far-fetched, but I kid you not.
- Perhaps I should have seen that coming.
- In retrospect, I was blind as a bat.
Realizing that the maid has been stealing money
Out-neutral / Advice url
Realistic-2
- The main question is, do you think you deserve better, and are you willing to make the effort to make the changes to make that happen?
- You get out of life only what you put into it.
- I didn’t mean to burst your bubble.
- You should know better that that.
- I think you’re just beating your head against a wall.
- You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
- You will reap what you sow.
- Beggars can't be choosers.
- You’ve got a long way to go.
- Let that be a lesson to you.
- Don’t buck the system.
- You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
- The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
- It doesn’t have to be that way.
- No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong.
Realistic-2
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 / Advice url
Caution-3
- We’ve got to lay low for a while until the whole things blows over.
- Play your cards close to your vest.
- It’ll come back to haunt you.
- My advice is to keep your eye on it.
- You might regret it for the rest of your life.
- You’re fighting a loosing battle.
- Take everything they say with a grain of salt.
- Your life may depend on it.
- I have a feeling that you might be starting off on the wrong foot.
- Handle it with kid gloves.
- The bigger they are the harder they fall.
- You really have to watch out for things like that.
- Steer clear of it.
- You’re skating on thin ice.
- Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
- The odds are against you.
- There are no guarantees.
- It will get you when you least expect it.
- He’s not playing with a full deck.
- That defeats the whole purpose.
- It's unpredictable, and it’s a close call, going down to the wire, and we might not have a clear indication of where it's heading until the last minute - and then it might be too late to change course to salvage the situation.
Caution-3
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Buying a car
- I dropped a bundle on it, but I’m glad I bought it.
- The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
- How can I resist?
- I might as well.
- You never get something for nothing.
- It’s growing on me.
- It’s the best that I can do.
Buying a car
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Planting a tree
- It’s just a question of time.
- We’ll see results in no time at all.
- All good things take time.
- It’ll come in time.
- It will do for a start.
- That’s all that’s necessary.
- I’ll do my part and let nature take its course.
- Before you know it.
Planting a tree
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Can you see my viewpoint?
- Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?
- Do you read me?
- Am I getting through to you?
- Do I make myself clear?
- Are we on the same page?
- Do you get the picture?
- Do you know what I mean?
- Do you see what I mean?
- How does that grab you?
- Will you consider it?
- Do you understand?
- How can I make you understand?
- You can understand, can’t you?
- Catch my drift?
- Will that present a problem?
- Does that ring a bell?
- Will you think about what I said?
- First off, let’s make sure that we’re on the same page.
- I’m just letting you know that this is how I see the situation.
- I'm just trying to be helpful.
Can you see my viewpoint?
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Raining on the day of the picnic
- Life has its ups and downs.
- It was a chance we had to take.
- It’s just one of those things.
- Life is full of surprises.
- Whatever happens it will be for the best.
- What does that matter?
- There’s not much we can do about it.
- Perhaps it’s really a blessing in disguise.
Raining on the day of the picnic