Total Phrases- 4535
37 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Let’s make a deal

  1. Let’s get down to business.
  2. Let’s mend our fences.
  3. Let get down to brass tacks.
  4. We can see eye to eye.
  5. Make me an offer I can’t refuse.
  6. Let’s split the difference.
  7. I’ll take you up on it.
  8. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
  9. Let’s put our heads together and do our best to get to come up with something.
  10. I’ll make it worth your while!
  11. On second thought, maybe I will reconsider your generous offer.
  12. Let’s go through with the deal.

Let’s make a deal

Out-neutral / Negotiating
38 of 402

Out-positive / Apology url

After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise

  1. I only wish I could have done more.
  2. I did the best I could.
  3. I’m sorry, my hands are tied.
  4. It might not make any sense to you, but that’s what they decided, and I hope you understand.
  5. I’m sorry that it’s not the answer you hoped for.
  6. My apologies that it took me longer to get the answer than I thought it would.
  7. I hope that we’ll be able to give you a better answer next time.
  8. I’m hoping this is something you can live with for the time being.
  9. I was told to explain to you that it’s due to circumstances beyond their control.
  10. 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 / Apology
39 of 402

Out-positive / Friendship url

Happy for you

  1. I’m glad to hear it.
  2. I’m so happy for you.
  3. I’m really happy to hear it.
  4. Isn’t that nice.
  5. That’s wonderful news!
  6. Your bringing me up to date really makes my day.

Happy for you

Out-positive / Friendship
40 of 402

In-positive / Surprise url

Learning that a friend is ill

  1. His illness came out of the blue.
  2. He’s never been sick a day in his life.
  3. I don’t know what to say.
  4. I didn’t expect that.
  5. It’s beyond comprehension.
  6. What brought this on?
  7. I still can’t believe it’s true.
  8. I’m in a state of denial.
  9. It came as a great shock.
  10. I found the news earth shattering.

Learning that a friend is ill

In-positive / Surprise
41 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Coming late for an appointment

  1. I just plum forgot.
  2. It slipped my mind.
  3. Forgive me, I just didn’t remember.
  4. I didn’t do it on purpose.
  5. I hope you understand.
  6. Please don’t take it personally.
  7. I knew I forgot something.
  8. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.
  9. I’ve been crazy busy lately.
  10. I have a lot on my plate.
  11. The time just slipped through my fingers.
  12. I just have no sense of time.

Coming late for an appointment

In-negative / Explaining
42 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Not doing work assignment on time

  1. I bit off more than I could chew.
  2. I didn’t accomplish as much as I thought I would.
  3. I took my best shot.
  4. That’s the best that I can do.
  5. It took me longer than I thought it would.
  6. I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.
  7. I was sure I could do more in the time that I had.
  8. The whole thing blew up in my face.
  9. I promise to do better next time.
  10. I don’t know how to answer your question.
  11. It totally slipped my mind.
  12. I knew there was something I forgot to do.
  13. I have no excuse.

Not doing work assignment on time

In-negative / Explaining
43 of 402

In-positive / Confidence url

Lawyer with new client

  1. I do everything by the book.
  2. The odds are in our favor.
  3. You let me be the judge of that.
  4. It’s coming along nicely.
  5. I have everything and under control, and you don’t have to worry about a thing.
  6. Your secret is safe with me.
  7. You can rest assured that I’ve got a handle on the situation, and that everything is under control, and that there’s nothing to worry about.
  8. It’s an open and shut case.
  9. I will do what needs to be done.
  10. Leave everything to me.

Lawyer with new client

In-positive / Confidence
44 of 402

Out-neutral / Advice url

Others - Care for them

  1. Give her what she needs.
  2. You’re holding him back.
  3. Treat him with kid gloves.
  4. Break it to him gently.
  5. Share and share alike.
  6. Give him a second chance.

Others - Care for them

Out-neutral / Advice
45 of 402

In-negative / Confusion url

To someone explaining calculus

  1. I haven’t the foggiest/slightest/vaguest idea of what you’re talking about.
  2. I can’t make heads or tails of it.
  3. I don’t understand.
  4. Whatever do you mean?
  5. You’ve got me stumped.
  6. I don’t know what to make of it.
  7. It doesn’t make any sense.
  8. How could that possibly be?
  9. It’s Greek to me.

To someone explaining calculus

In-negative / Confusion
46 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Trying to fix work-mate’s computer

  1. I found the problem, but I just need time to fix it.
  2. I’m a little rusty.
  3. I’m working on it.
  4. I've hit a brick wall.
  5. I tried my best, but I guess that just wasn’t good enough.
  6. It doesn’t look like I’m making much headway.
  7. Oh well, it was worth a try.
  8. It may look simple, but it's really complicated.
  9. You can’t blame a fellow for trying.
  10. I’m sorry that it just didn’t work out.
  11. Back to the drawing board.
  12. I got more than I bargained for.
  13. That’s easier said than done.
  14. It was a shot in the dark.
  15. That’s what I could do.
  16. I’m sure you were expecting more from me.
  17. I’m trying my best.
  18. That’s the only thing I can think of.

Trying to fix work-mate’s computer

In-negative / Explaining
47 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Being late for work

  1. I’ve had one of those days.
  2. I lost all track of time.
  3. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
  4. It’s a long story.
  5. It’s just not my day.
  6. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.
  7. It was just one thing after another.
  8. Before I knew it, more time had passed than I had anticipated.
  9. It’s the last thing in the world that I thought was going to happen.
  10. I have no excuse for myself.
  11. I just don't have any sense of time.

Being late for work

In-negative / Explaining
48 of 402

Out-positive / Encouragement url

To a High School student who won the science fair

  1. You’re a real expert.
  2. That needed out of the box thinking, and you rose to the occasion.
  3. You should be proud of the fact that you did it all by yourself, with almost no help from anyone else.
  4. You just scratched the surface of what you can accomplish.
  5. I guess you’re curious about what makes things tick.
  6. It’s right up your alley.

To a High School student who won the science fair

Out-positive / Encouragement