In-neutral / Acceptance url
Buying a car
- I dropped a bundle on it, but I’m glad I bought it.
- The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
- How can I resist?
- I might as well.
- You never get something for nothing.
- It’s growing on me.
- It’s the best that I can do.
Buying a car
Out-negative / Annoyed url
Listen to me-2
- Are you paying attention – it seems that what I’m saying is going in one ear and out the other.
- You got that?
- Can you get it through your thick skull?
- I’m trying to pound it into your head.
- You’re memory is like a sieve.
- Out with it.
- Don’t you ever forget that.
- Give me a straight answer.
- Why can’t I get through to you?
- You’re excused, but make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Listen to me-2
In-neutral / Caution url
Investing a lot of money in a startup
- I think there’s danger lurking ahead.
- Something about the whole situation smells.
- I’m going to proceed with caution with all deliberate speed.
- I’m going to get to the bottom of it.
- It’s too early to tell.
- The stakes are high.
- I’m going to try to be patient.
- Everything’s up in the air.
- Is the potential reward worth the risk?
- It might be too good to be true.
- It might be like reaching for the moon.
- It might take a while before the truth comes out.
- I can’t have it both ways.
- I shouldn’t count my chickens before they’re hatched.
- I might be making a big mistake.
- Don’t get too comfortable, because the situation is fluid and unpredictable, and could change at any moment.
- Let's give it time, and see how it plays out, because there could be a considerable upside potential.
Investing a lot of money in a startup
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s pause & cool it off for now
- I think we should leave it well enough alone.
- It doesn’t matter.
- Let’s just call it a day.
- Let’s leave it at that for now.
- You don’t have to decide right away, because the offer is always open.
- Let’s change the subject.
- The less said about it, the better.
- Let’s leave it at that.
- Let’s sleep on it.
- Let’s just call it quits for now, OK?
Let’s pause & cool it off for now
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Don’t let your attitude interfere
- Don’t be a stickler for details.
- Don’t get all huffy.
- Don’t make a federal case out of it.
- Please get to the point, and don’t beat around the bush.
- Don’t make such a big production of it.
- You can’t pass judgment.
- You are blowing things out of proportion.
- You’re as stubborn as a mule.
Don’t let your attitude interfere
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a job
- I can’t tell you how awful it is.
- I’m going to lose my mind.
- After what I’ve been through, I don’t know which way is up.
- It’s a lost cause.
- It’s a no win situation.
- It’s all downhill from here.
- It’s a sad state of affairs.
- It feels like things are spinning out of control.
- This is driving me up a wall.
- I’m at loose ends.
- It all seems like a bad dream.
- I feel like I’m on the ropes.
- I think I’m going to throw in the towel.
- After I try my best, and I find a lot of good that does.
- Where can I turn to?
- It hit me like a ton of bricks.
Losing a job
Out-neutral / Advice url
Conserve your resources
- A little bit goes a long way.
- Don’t wear yourself out.
- Get your act together.
- Keep your head above water.
- Make the best of what you have.
- Waste not want not.
- Take it easy.
- Don’t bite off more that you can chew.
- Do it yourself.
- Just go about your business.
- Conserve your strength.
- Ease your way into it.
Conserve your resources
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-positive / Agreement url
I need you to stop looking at your cell phone while you’re talking to me
- You have my undivided attention.
- I hear you loud and clear.
- You’ve got a good point there.
- That sounds fair to me.
- You have my word.
- I’m slowly coming around to your way of seeing things.
- As you wish.
- I know what you mean.
- I can relate to that.
- I stand corrected.
- I read you loud and clear.
I need you to stop looking at your cell phone while you’re talking to me
In-neutral / Caution url
Remembering being lost in the woods
- The memory makes my skin crawl.
- That was a hair raising experience.
- For a while it was touch and go.
- It all came down to the wire.
- I was in trouble up to my ears.
- It was the moment of truth.
- It kind of snuck up on me.
- Just the memory sends a chill up and down my spine.
- There’s a big difference between what I expected and what actually happened.
- There was no easy way out.
- It seemed like an eternity.
- I wasn't counting on it happening the way it did.
- The way it turned out was totally unexpected.
Remembering being lost in the woods
Out-neutral / Advice url
Caution-3
- We’ve got to lay low for a while until the whole things blows over.
- Play your cards close to your vest.
- It’ll come back to haunt you.
- My advice is to keep your eye on it.
- You might regret it for the rest of your life.
- You’re fighting a loosing battle.
- Take everything they say with a grain of salt.
- Your life may depend on it.
- I have a feeling that you might be starting off on the wrong foot.
- Handle it with kid gloves.
- The bigger they are the harder they fall.
- You really have to watch out for things like that.
- Steer clear of it.
- You’re skating on thin ice.
- Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
- The odds are against you.
- There are no guarantees.
- It will get you when you least expect it.
- He’s not playing with a full deck.
- That defeats the whole purpose.
- It's unpredictable, and it’s a close call, going down to the wire, and we might not have a clear indication of where it's heading until the last minute - and then it might be too late to change course to salvage the situation.
Caution-3
In-negative / Desperation url
Can’t pay the mortgage
- Things have gotten totally out of hand.
- I’m having trouble making ends meet.
- What am I going to do?
- Sometimes I feel that it's all going to be downhill from here.
- I hope I haven’t blown it.
- Nowadays, it’s hard to make ends meet.
- I’m hanging by a thread.
- If this goes on I’m going to lose my mind.
- I was up all night worrying about it.
- I feel down and out.
- Sometimes I tell myself, ‘Don’t even bother’.
- When I hope that things will get better, I realize: don’t hold your breath.
- I feel like I’m beating a dead horse.
Can’t pay the mortgage