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 / Confusion url
Waking up after a deep sleep.
- I fell into a deep sleep, and when I woke up I was so disoriented that for a short while I couldn’t remember where I was.
- My mind is going in ten different directions.
- I don’t know what to make of it.
- What time is it?
- How did I get here?
- I could use a breath of fresh air.
- What’s going on here?
- I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with it right now.
- I don’t feel like myself.
- I’m so tired, I can hardly see straight.
Waking up after a deep sleep.
Out-neutral / Advice url
Lighten up
- Don’t work so hard.
- Do it the easy way.
- Lighten up.
- Don’t take it so seriously.
- Why make things more complicated than they really are?
- Take the easy way out.
Lighten up
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
- You’re just trying to make me feel better.
- How can you be so sure?
- I think the truth is more complicated than the way you’re making it sound.
- What you’re saying just doesn’t hold water.
- I wouldn’t hold my breath.
- That’ll be the day.
- I don’t believe it for a minute.
- After what already happened, what difference does it make anyway?
- Maybe yes, maybe no.
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s work things out-3
- It’s easy to have 20-20 vision about things that happened in the past.
- We both have to admit that neither one of us saw it coming.
- There are no guarantees.
- Let’s get it out in the open.
- So what’s the bottom line?
- Now let’s get things out in the open.
- We both want the same thing.
- Let’s have the whole story out in the open.
- I’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
- Take all the time in the world.
- It doesn’t have to be that way.
- If that’s all right with you.
- Does it really matter?
- I’ll give it a try.
Let’s work things out-3
Out-positive / Apology url
After stepping on someone’s foot by mistake
- Do you forgive me?
- I’ll take full responsibility for it.
- Whoops, that was a mistake.
- I didn’t mean to do that.
- It was completely unintentional.
- I hope you accept my apologies.
- I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.
- I hope I wasn’t too rough on you.
- I hope I didn’t do anything terribly wrong.
After stepping on someone’s foot by mistake
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Being offered a job
- Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.
- It’s better late than never.
- I’ll buy that.
- All’s well that ends well.
- If the shoes fits wear it.
- That works out best all around.
Being offered a job
In-positive / Determination url
Manager of sales
- What are we waiting for?
- Strike while the iron is hot.
- We shouldn’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers.
- Let me make myself crystal clear.
- We have to take our chances.
- Let’s just get the ball rolling.
- That settles it.
- We’re off to a flying start.
- Even though in the short run it may be very difficult, in the long run it has the highest chances of success.
- Let’s take the ball and run with it.
- Oh well, it's back to the drawing board.
- You can’t put me off for another minute.
- We got off to a rip-roaring start.
- There’s no I in team.
- There's nothing that we can't accomplish if we put our minds to it.
- We can come up to speed in no time at all.
- We’re making up for lost time.
- Let's push it over the top.
- The goal is well within our reach.
- We have to be on the top of our game, and not get lulled into complacency.
Manager of sales
In-positive / Relief url
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
- We nipped it in the bud.
- It happened just in the nick of time.
- That takes a big load off of my mind.
- Thank goodness for little things.
- It’s just what the doctor ordered.
- We were saved just by the skin on our teeth.
- Things will finally get back to normal.
- When I heard the news, I breathed a sigh of relief.
- Our ship has finally come in.
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
In-positive / Confidence url
After an appendix operation
- I feel like a new man.
- I know I’m on the road to recovery.
- I feel better than ever.
- Don’t worry about me.
- I’ll be fine.
- I get by with a little help from my friends.
- I’m not out of the woods yet, but I’m fully confident that I will be in no time at all.
- I’m patient and hopeful that it will all be for the best.
- I should be alright.
- It didn't make any sense not to do it.
After an appendix operation
In-negative / Doubt url
Neighbors of the Wright Brothers
- I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Are you really sure?
- Personally, I don’t think you stand a chance.
- The odds are stacked against you.
- I don’t think anything will ever come of it.
- Are your out of your mind?
- Are you serious?
- Are you crazy?
- You must be drunk.
- Are you kidding?
Neighbors of the Wright Brothers
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Choosing an item from the menu
- It’s six of one or half a dozen of the other.
- I guess I just can’t have it both ways.
- At one point I have to bite the bullet.
- At one point you just have to fish or cut bait.
Choosing an item from the menu