Out-negative / Anger url
You will regret this
- You’ll be sorry.
- You can dish it out but you can’t take it.
- You’ll pay for this.
- You can’t get away with that.
- You had it coming to you.
- You deserve everything you get.
You will regret this
In-neutral / Caution url
Thinking of entering an abandoned house
- I’m not running so fast to go there.
- It just doesn’t sit right with me.
- In my opinion I’ll be lucky if I survive by the skin of my teeth.
- I sense that this might be something I might live to regret.
- I’m going to take one step at a time.
- Something undesirable could happen at any time at the drop of the hat.
- I think I’ve gotten about as far as I’m going to get.
- I’m on the look-out.
- Hold your horses.
- I can’t chance it.
- Are you crazy, why on earth would I ever try to do something like that?
Thinking of entering an abandoned house
Out-positive / Agreement url
Can you write a letter of recommendation for me?
- Just say the word.
- I’ll do whatever I can do to be helpful.
- I’ll try to put in a good word for you.
- If you want it, you’ve got it.
- Anything you say.
- Sounds good.
- Yes, by all means.
Can you write a letter of recommendation for me?
In-neutral / Caution url
A friend giving you investment advice
- It’s a tough world out there.
- It might be worth investigating.
- I don’t think I should press my luck.
- I’m going to have to play it by ear.
- There’s something fishy going on here.
- I can just put two and two together.
- I feel I should just leave it well enough alone.
- A little birdie is whispering to me to look before I leap.
- I could be leaving myself wide open.
- I find it all hard to believe.
- It seems too good to be true.
- I shouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket.
- Tell me, why is it worth the risk?
- There might be a fly in the ointment.
- If you're wrong, it could all blow sky high, and I'd be the one holding the bag.
- That’s all pie in the sky.
A friend giving you investment advice
Out-positive / Agreement url
Do you think we’d be healthier if we used the staircase instead of the elevator?
- You couldn’t be more right.
- Of course!
- I bet you’re right.
- It’s worth a try.
- I’m all in.
- I’ll go along with that.
- Now that's a great idea!
- That stands to reason.
- That makes so much more sense.
- You have a good point.
Do you think we’d be healthier if we used the staircase instead of the elevator?
In-neutral / Caution url
Telling someone a secret
- The less said about it the better.
- Don’t breathe a word of it.
- I was sworn to secrecy.
- Mum’s the word.
- This could be something that I might come to regret.
- This might be against my better judgement.
- I have to ask myself, why am I doing this?
Telling someone a secret
In-positive / Surprise url
Learning that a friend is ill
- His illness came out of the blue.
- He’s never been sick a day in his life.
- I don’t know what to say.
- I didn’t expect that.
- It’s beyond comprehension.
- What brought this on?
- I still can’t believe it’s true.
- I’m in a state of denial.
- It came as a great shock.
- I found the news earth shattering.
Learning that a friend is ill
Out-neutral / Advice url
Control yourself
- Don’t let it get out of hand.
- Don’t let it go to your head.
- Don’t take it so personally.
- Don’t take the law into your own hands.
- Just try to remember that mum’s the word, and try your best to not let it slip out when you are caught off guard.
- Keep a hold on the situation.
- Don’t boast about it.
- Get a grip on yourself.
- Don’t resort to violence.
- I think one of the problems is that you’ve been bouncing from one extreme to another.
- Don’t air your dirty laundry out in public.
- You’ve got to snap out of it.
- Now get serious, and stop horsing around.
- You have to quit cold turkey.
- Get a hold of yourself.
- Why take a chance?
Control yourself
In-neutral / Caution url
Thinking of dating someone from the wrong side of the tracks
- I feel that persion might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
- Assumptions can be deceptive.
- I don’t know where this is all heading.
- If you ask me I think I should just call the whole thing off.
- I think that could be like opening up a Pandora’s box.
- That might be wishful thinking.
- Curiosity killed the cat.
- Where there’s smoke there’s fire.
- I have a funny feeling that I should drop it like a hot potato if I know what’s good for me.
- Am I seeing the world with rose colored glasses?
Thinking of dating someone from the wrong side of the tracks
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-neutral / Caution url
A publisher given a story that might be libelous
- I just can’t chance it.
- I’m going to treat it with kid gloves.
- It could blow sky high.
- Let’s not rush into things.
- I may be sitting on a time bomb.
- One option is for is for me to just wait it out.
- I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- It’s best if I wait until the whole thing blows over.
- I just don’t feel like bucking the system.
- I’m inclined to just tiptoe around the whole situation.
- I think if I got involved in any way I would be playing with fire.
- My gut feeling is that I should just leave it well enough alone.
- The fact that no one else wants to do it is not a good sign.
- 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
Out-positive / Encouragement url
For a friend who invested in a stock that did well and then crashed
- It wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
- You can cope with it.
- You can turn it into a growth and learning experience.
- You can rest assured that if I were in your shoes, I would have done exactly what you did.
- It certainly started off with the bang.
- Don’t worry, hang on tight, it’s going to be all right.
- You’re acting as cool as a cucumber.
- I guess whatever goes up, must come down.
For a friend who invested in a stock that did well and then crashed