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-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
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
I will win
- I got you right where I want you.
- It’s my way or the highway.
- Finders keeper losers weepers.
- Eat your heart out.
- The last laugh will be on you.
- I read you like a book.
- I’ve got the upper hand.
- My, my, my, said the spider to the fly.
I will win
Out-positive / Concern url
To a friend who is very depressed
- Don’t go bonkers on me.
- What’s wrong now?
- What’s on your mind?
- I hate seeing you like this.
- You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
- What are you so edgy about?
- Has the cat got your tongue?
- It’s good for you to get out once in a while.
- It seems as if you don’t know whether you’re coming or going.
- I’ll do anything I can.
- How can I ease your burden?
- I won’t be judgmental.
- I'm on your side.
- What’s come over you?
- Perhaps there are some things that I can take off your hands.
- Take things one day at a time.
- There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
- Take each day as it comes.
- Always know that I’m here for you.
- Sometimes it’s darkest just before the dawn.
- Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
- Pull yourself together.
- Hold on tight, it will be alright.
To a friend who is very depressed
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-negative / Explaining url
After investing in worthless land
- I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
- I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
- I should have known.
- It seemed like the right to do thing at the time.
- It took me totally by surprise.
- I was talked into it.
- The thought that this would be such a bad decision never crossed my mind.
- There’s not a whole lot I can do about it at this point.
- That never would have dawned on me.
- I didn’t see it coming.
- In theory that was how it was supposed to play out, but in actuality that’s not what happened.
- How was I supposed to know that?
- It beats me how that could have happened.
- It was an honest mistake.
- It could happen to anyone.
- I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way I expected them to.
- I found out the hard way.
- The thought never even crossed my mind.
- That was something I wasn’t even aware of.
- Frankly, it’s just not something I could have anticipated.
- That’s something I just didn’t count on.
- They really took me to the cleaners.
- I must admit, from the beginning the whole thing wasn’t clear to me, and went way over my head.
- I was a sitting duck.
- I was being penny wise and pound foolish.
After investing in worthless land
In-positive / Realizing url
Finding out 'who did it' at the end of a mystery novel
- I could see it right from the beginning.
- I suspected as much.
- It finally dawned on me.
- That explains everything!
- That’s it, in a nutshell.
- It was the missing link.
- Just put two and two together, and it all makes sense.
- I saw it coming, because though it didn’t seem so at first, in retrospect it was a dead give away.
- It will do it to you every time.
- It was on the tip of my tongue all along.
- That never would have occurred to me.
- I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me.
Finding out 'who did it' at the end of a mystery novel
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a chunk of data from a laptop hard drive
- That will be the straw that breaks the camels back.
- I’ve taken about all that I can take.
- This is driving me so batty that I could scream.
- What rotten luck.
- I give up.
- I can’t bear to face it.
- Why me?
- Don’t even talk to me about it.
- It's not my day.
Losing a chunk of data from a laptop hard drive
Out-neutral url
Patience-2
- Don’t make a snap decision.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- She just needs time.
- Sleep on it.
- Sit tight!
- It takes time.
- Be patient and cool your heels, because I fully expect that she’ll come around eventually.
- Keep your shirt on.
- We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Patience-2
In-positive / Determination url
Head of a start-up
- We shall overcome.
- Let’s keep the ball rolling.
- There will be no exceptions.
- Every minute counts.
- Never say die.
- It’s not the mountain ahead that wears you out, but the grain of sand in your shoe.
- Let’s get to work.
- We have to use brute force.
- We can use all the help that we can get.
- It’s important that we do this right, and I don’t want any slip-ups.
- We’ll make it up as we go along.
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- It may be slow going but we’re making headway.
- We should milk it for all its worth.
- To make our strategy work, we have to make sure all our ducks are lined up.
- We're going to make it happen.
- There's nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it.
- We must have confidence in ourselves.
- It's up to us to make sure it happens.
- Let’s milk it for all it’s worth.
- We’re going to hit the ground running.
- In our struggle for success, I think we’ve finally turned the corner.
- Things are falling into place.
Head of a start-up
In-negative / Doubt url
After wife suggests to husband that he run for Mayor
- How am I going to pull that off?
- That’s easier said than done.
- I’m not so sure.
- It sounds like it’s nothing more than a pipe-dream.
- Hey, you never know.
- What are we waiting for?
- I’m having second thoughts about it.
- I think you have more confidence in me than I have in myself.
- I don’t even know if it’s worth the effort.
- It’s a nice idea, but what are the odds of it succeeding?
- I don’t know if I’m up for it.
- What do you think the odds are of it succeeding?
- I appreciate your vote of confidence, but do you think it’s worth a try?
- We have to be realistic about it.
- I have my doubts.
- Should I give your suggestion the benefit of the doubt?
- Are you pulling my leg?
After wife suggests to husband that he run for Mayor
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?