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
In-negative / Disappointment url
Couple discussing ending a relationship
- Talk is cheap.
- We’re drifting farther and farther apart.
- We didn’t hit it off too well.
- I sense that there’s no room in your life for me.
- There’s no point in continuing.
- I’m just not in the mood for putting any more work in it.
- I just don’t see it going anywhere.
- I saw the handwriting on the wall.
- I don’t feel that we’re on the same wavelength.
- I think this is what’s better for both of us in the long run.
- This time I really put my foot in my mouth.
- I think we’ve hit a brick wall.
- You broke my heart.
- I feel that it’s all an exercise in futility.
- Where has all the time gone?
- I realize now that I’ve been barking up the wrong tree.
- It’s outlived its usefulness.
- Ain’t that a crying shame?
Couple discussing ending a relationship
In-negative / Explaining url
Not doing work assignment on time
- I bit off more than I could chew.
- I didn’t accomplish as much as I thought I would.
- I took my best shot.
- That’s the best that I can do.
- It took me longer than I thought it would.
- I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.
- I was sure I could do more in the time that I had.
- The whole thing blew up in my face.
- I promise to do better next time.
- I don’t know how to answer your question.
- It totally slipped my mind.
- I knew there was something I forgot to do.
- I have no excuse.
Not doing work assignment on time
In-positive / Determination url
Lost in the woods
- I’m not giving up so easily.
- That’s a risk I’m just going to have to take.
- I better get out of here soon.
- I’ve got to get a handle on the situation.
- OK, let’s get the heck out of here.
- I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.
- Time is of the essence.
- Let’s get the hell out of here.
Lost in the woods
In-negative / Doubt url
Someone saying he’s going on a new starvation diet
- It’s too high a price to pay.
- What gave you that idea?
- I just can’t picture it.
- You can’t believe everything you read.
- Boy, do you bounce from one extreme to another.
- I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re wasting your time.
- I’m sure you will, but I don’t give it much of a chance of success.
- The odds are against it.
- Where have I heard all of this before?
- I hope you know what you’re doing.
- You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt.
Someone saying he’s going on a new starvation diet
In-positive / Surprise url
Finding something after searching for it
- I looked all over the place for it, but all the time it was right under my nose.
- It seemed to disappear into thin air.
- I looked for it in the same place a hundred times, and it was right in front of eyes the whole time.
- It appeared out of thin air.
- It seemed to vanish off the face of the earth.
- I can’t believe I finally found it!
- Don’t that beat all?
Finding something after searching for it
Out-positive / Concern url
To a friend who hopes to solve their money problems by going to a Casino
- I think you’ve gone just a little bit too far this time.
- What are you doing in a place like this?
- You’re digging a hole for yourself.
- You better watch out.
- This can only spell trouble.
- No good can come from this.
- Maybe I better warn you.
- I wouldn’t hold my breath, if I were you!
- You’re just avoiding/delaying the inevitable.
- You’ve boxed youself into a corner.
To a friend who hopes to solve their money problems by going to a Casino
In-positive / Determination url
Manager with a new employee
- The early bird catches the worm.
- I won’t take no for an answer.
- Let’s skip the formalities, and cut to the chase.
- I'm going to get right down to brass tacks.
- Let’s get a move on it.
- A word to the wise is sufficient.
- It’s just not done that way around here.
- Do whatever it is you have to do.
Manager with a new employee
In-positive / Remembering url
Meeting a friend from childhood
- Those were the good old days.
- Just for old time’s sake.
- There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since we saw each other last.
- It’s been a long time.
- I feel just like I was a little kid again.
- We go back a long way.
- From time to time I remember the good old days, the way things used to be.
- Our friendship goes back for as long as I can remember.
- I remember you from way back when, and you haven’t changed a bit.
Meeting a friend from childhood
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
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Breaking up with someone
- It’s gone with the wind.
- It doesn’t matter.
- That’s the way it is.
- It makes good sense.
- Different strokes for different folks.
- I’ll just have to learn to live with it.
- It was nice while it lasted.
- It’s over once and for all.
- It’s over and done with.
- It’s all the same to me.
- It’s a little depressing, but what can I do?
- You take the good with the bad.
- To each his own.
- Her heart is in the right place.
- That’s what makes the world go round.
- It takes all kinds.
- I guess I got more out of it than I thought I had.
- All good things much come to an end.
- So much for that.
- I'm haunted by the fact that perhaps it didn't have to be this way, but it doesn't look like there's not much I can do about it at this point.
- It's a fait accompli.
Breaking up with someone
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Not getting into the college that’s the first choice
- Now that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
- I think I’m just have to start getting used to it.
- That’s all there is to it.
- Let’s make the most of it.
- It’s just as well.
- You’ve got to take the good with the bad.
Not getting into the college that’s the first choice