In-negative / Confusion url
Trying to remember why you made a certain decision last year
- I can’t explain it.
- I’m not so sure.
- I don’t know what to say about it.
- I’m not sure exactly.
- I haven’t the slightest idea.
- I can’t put my finger on it.
- I don’t have a clue.
- I don’t remember off the top of my head.
- Your guess is a good as mine.
- That’s the thing I don’t understand.
- How can I be sure?
Trying to remember why you made a certain decision last year
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s make a deal
- Let’s get down to business.
- Let’s mend our fences.
- Let get down to brass tacks.
- We can see eye to eye.
- Make me an offer I can’t refuse.
- Let’s split the difference.
- I’ll take you up on it.
- Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
- Let’s put our heads together and do our best to get to come up with something.
- I’ll make it worth your while!
- On second thought, maybe I will reconsider your generous offer.
- Let’s go through with the deal.
Let’s make a deal
Out-positive / Agreement url
I think it’s good that you’ve been going to sleep earlier and getting more sleep.
- I’m glad you approve.
- You better believe it!
- That’s the understatement of the year.
- That’s exactly how I feel about it.
- I can feel the improvement already.
I think it’s good that you’ve been going to sleep earlier and getting more sleep.
Out-positive / Agreement url
How about I pick you up at your house at 8pm?
- Take your time, I’m in no rush.
- That’s as good a time as any.
- That’s fine with me.
- Whatever you say.
- That sounds just great, I’ll look forward to it.
- That’s just fine and dandy.
How about I pick you up at your house at 8pm?
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 / 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
In-neutral / Caution url
A friend giving you investment advice
- It’s a tough world out there.
- It might be worth investigating.
- I don’t think I should press my luck.
- I’m going to have to play it by ear.
- There’s something fishy going on here.
- I can just put two and two together.
- I feel I should just leave it well enough alone.
- A little birdie is whispering to me to look before I leap.
- I could be leaving myself wide open.
- I find it all hard to believe.
- It seems too good to be true.
- I shouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket.
- Tell me, why is it worth the risk?
- There might be a fly in the ointment.
- If you're wrong, it could all blow sky high, and I'd be the one holding the bag.
- That’s all pie in the sky.
A friend giving you investment advice
Out-neutral / Advice url
Trust me
- I won’t steer you wrong.
- Please take my advice.
- I’ll know when the time is right.
- Heed what I am saying.
- Do as I say, not as I do.
- Take a tip from me.
- That’s a solemn promise.
- Now pay attention to what I’m trying to tell you, and I want your undivided attention.
- Mark my words that as sure as I’m standing here, what I’m saying is the honest truth.
- Just stick with me.
Trust me
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
Out-negative / Annoyed url
You are guilty
- You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.
- That’s pretty under-handed.
- You’re getting away with murder.
- It’s all your fault.
- I caught you red handed.
- You were caught with your hand in the cookie jar.
- What kind of game are you playing?
- I feel sorry for you.
- You know what you did.
You are guilty
In-negative / Explaining url
Hitting the neighbor's dog with a car
- It took me completely by surprise.
- It came out of the blue.
- It really threw me for a loop.
- I take full responsibility for it.
- The experience has shaken me to the core.
- I had to make a split second decision.
- I had to save my own skin.
- It scared me half to death.
- It really shook me up.
- It’s a very unusual occurrence.
- How do you think I feel?
- Do you think I did it on purpose?
- I don’t know what to say.
- When push comes to shove, it’s not something I could have prevented.
- It was a freak accident.
- It happened in a blink of an eye.
- It sent shivers up my spine.
Hitting the neighbor's dog with a car
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