Total Phrases- 4535
1 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
2 of 402

Out-negative / Push away url

I don’t want to do it

  1. That’s the last thing I want.
  2. I’m not crazy about it.
  3. I’m not in the mood.
  4. No thank you.
  5. Thanks but no thanks.
  6. That gives me the creeps.
  7. I wouldn’t do that for all the money in the world.
  8. For me it’s just a big turnoff.
  9. Do your own dirty work.
  10. That’s not my problem.
  11. That’s not my cup of tea.
  12. I’m not going to stoop so low as to do something like that.
  13. That’s of no concern to me.
  14. It doesn’t float my boat.
  15. I don’t feel like it.

I don’t want to do it

Out-negative / Push away
3 of 402

In-neutral / Acceptance url

Salesman losing a sale

  1. It’s back to square one.
  2. Let the chips fall where they may.
  3. So much for that.
  4. It will all come out in the wash.
  5. What can I tell you?
  6. It happens to the best of us.
  7. It’s all in a day’s work.
  8. Well, that’s the way it goes.

Salesman losing a sale

In-neutral / Acceptance
4 of 402

Out-positive / Encouragement url

To a student who just solved a difficult math problem

  1. That’s a brilliant deduction.
  2. You’re as smart as a whip.
  3. You’re really catching on.
  4. That’s a step in the right direction.
  5. You’ve got that down pat.
  6. Nobody can do it better.
  7. You should be proud of yourself.
  8. You’re a pretty smart cookie.
  9. I’ll be happy/glad to write a letter of recommendation for you.

To a student who just solved a difficult math problem

Out-positive / Encouragement
5 of 402

In-neutral / Acceptance url

Not catching a fish

  1. Kiss this one goodbye.
  2. It’s not like I have much of a choice.
  3. I’ll be darned if I can help it.
  4. That’s the way it is.
  5. It’s not that bad.
  6. There’s not much I can do about it now.
  7. I’m going to let bygones be bygones.

Not catching a fish

In-neutral / Acceptance
6 of 402

In-negative / Confusion url

Lost in a forest

  1. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.
  2. Do you think that we’re getting anywhere?
  3. What am I supposed to do?
  4. I can’t figure out what’s going on, and I feel like I’m shooting in the dark.
  5. How am I going to pull this off?
  6. I’m on a wild goose chase.
  7. What are we going to do now?
  8. So now what do I do?
  9. What’s going on?
  10. I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Lost in a forest

In-negative / Confusion
7 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

Express your viewpoint

  1. Speak now or forever hold your peace.
  2. You go right ahead.
  3. Speak for yourself.
  4. Shoot from the hip.
  5. Why didn’t you say something?
  6. Put your money where your mouth is.
  7. That’s your opinion.
  8. You can talk to your heart’s content.
  9. Cat got your tongue?
  10. Judge for yourself.
  11. You’re a free agent.
  12. If you’ve get something to say, say it.
  13. Run it by me again.
  14. Come on, out with it.

Express your viewpoint

Out-neutral / Negotiating
8 of 402

In-negative / Doubt url

To someone who claims that a swamp is great real estate

  1. That’s going too far.
  2. That’s not very likely.
  3. Don’t make me laugh.
  4. You’ve got to be kidding.
  5. Do you really believe that?
  6. I rather doubt it.
  7. I don’t believe it for one minute.
  8. Do you expect me to believe that crap?
  9. That doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of being successful.
  10. That’s a hare brained idea.
  11. It’s the same old run-around.
  12. I don’t buy it.
  13. It sounds kind of fishy.
  14. He’s stretching the truth.
  15. I wouldn’t put it past you.
  16. Do you expect me to believe that?
  17. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.

To someone who claims that a swamp is great real estate

In-negative / Doubt
9 of 402

In-negative / Explaining url

Apartment is a mess

  1. I can only do what I can do.
  2. I try not the pay attention to these things.
  3. What difference does it make anyway?
  4. There’s a method to the madness.
  5. I’m getting nowhere fast.
  6. I’m on a tight schedule, and it just doesn’t leave me time for these things.
  7. I’m strapped for time.
  8. You can understand, can’t you?
  9. In the large scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter, does it?
  10. I just have a different set of priorities than you do.
  11. I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
  12. Out of sight, out of mind.
  13. At least I know where everything is.

Apartment is a mess

In-negative / Explaining
10 of 402

In-positive / Realizing url

Seeing what stocks it would have been best to buy

  1. It’s slowly beginning to come into focus.
  2. Chalk that one up to experience.
  3. I’m beginning to see the situation more clearly.
  4. It’s as clear as clear can be.
  5. Now that sheds some light on the subject.
  6. It’s the key to everything.
  7. That answers that $64,000 question.
  8. That explains it.
  9. I now see things through new eyes.

Seeing what stocks it would have been best to buy

In-positive / Realizing
11 of 402

Out-neutral / Negotiating url

I find your viewpoint hard to understand-1

  1. That’s wishful thinking.
  2. That’s neither here nor there.
  3. That leads us right back to where we started.
  4. Is that too much to ask?
  5. That’s beside the point.
  6. Now that’s a horse of a different color.
  7. You’re missing the point.
  8. You’ve missed the whole point.
  9. That’s not the same thing at all.
  10. It happens to be true whether you choose to believe or not.
  11. Put it whatever way you want.
  12. I wasn’t born yesterday.

I find your viewpoint hard to understand-1

Out-neutral / Negotiating
12 of 402

In-neutral / Caution url

A publisher given a story that might be libelous

  1. I just can’t chance it.
  2. I’m going to treat it with kid gloves.
  3. It could blow sky high.
  4. Let’s not rush into things.
  5. I may be sitting on a time bomb.
  6. One option is for is for me to just wait it out.
  7. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
  8. It’s best if I wait until the whole thing blows over.
  9. I just don’t feel like bucking the system.
  10. I’m inclined to just tiptoe around the whole situation.
  11. I think if I got involved in any way I would be playing with fire.
  12. My gut feeling is that I should just leave it well enough alone.
  13. The fact that no one else wants to do it is not a good sign.
  14. I don't know the person involved from a hole in the wall, and I think I should regard that as a warning signal.

A publisher given a story that might be libelous

In-neutral / Caution