Out-positive / Concern url
Meeting a friend who’s been up all night studying for a test.
- Perhaps you waited too long to take care of it.
- Have you’ve been burning the midnight oil?
- Next time try not to wait until the last minute.
- You’re working yourself to the bone.
- Perhaps you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
- You should try to pace yourself better.
- Don’t worry about it, just do your best, and I'm sure that will be good enough.
- You shouldn’t save everything for the last minute.
- You’re burning the candle at both ends.
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Meeting a friend who’s been up all night studying for a test.
In-negative / Desperation url
Lost in the forest
- I’ve run out of steam.
- The situation is so grim.
- The situation was so dangerous that I thought it was curtains.
- I’m worried to death.
- I can’t cope with it.
- I’m scared to death.
- Time is running out.
- It’s all a nightmare.
- I’m never going to make it.
- I’m reaching the end of my rope.
- I was up the creek without a paddle.
Lost in the forest
In-negative / Desperation url
Working 3 jobs to make ends meet
- I can’t take it anymore.
- I’ve reached the bottom of the barrel.
- I’ve been so busy lately that I’m running myself ragged.
- I’m going to lose my mind.
- The harder I try the worse everything gets.
- I feel so inadequate.
- I feel like I’m busting at the seams.
- I just seem to be spinning my wheels, without getting anything accomplished.
- Life’s not a picnic.
- I’ve been working my fingers to the bone.
- I’ve been in the same old rut as long as I can remember.
- How much more of this do you think I can take?
- I feel weighed down by my problems, and by life in general.
- I’m running on empty.
Working 3 jobs to make ends meet
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Admitting a mistake
- It may not be a pretty picture, but at least now it’s all out in the open.
- Everyone’s gotta do what they gotta do.
- What other options do I have?
- We have no choice.
- I decided to stand up like a man and admit it.
- Nobody’s perfect.
- Take it from me, it couldn’t be helped.
- One good deed leads to another.
- It’s better that way.
Admitting a mistake
In-negative / Doubt url
Someone saying he’s going on a new starvation diet
- It’s too high a price to pay.
- What gave you that idea?
- I just can’t picture it.
- You can’t believe everything you read.
- Boy, do you bounce from one extreme to another.
- I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re wasting your time.
- I’m sure you will, but I don’t give it much of a chance of success.
- The odds are against it.
- Where have I heard all of this before?
- I hope you know what you’re doing.
- You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt.
Someone saying he’s going on a new starvation diet
Out-negative / Annoyed url
You are crazy
- You’re out of your mind.
- Your mind is twisted.
- What do you have, rocks in your head?
- What’s wrong with you?
- You could drive a person insane.
- Are you out of your mind?
- Have you lost your mind?
- You don’t know what you’re saying.
- What’s gotten into you?
- You doesn’t know if you’re coming or going.
- You’ve got some nerve.
- You don’t know what you’re talking about.
- You’re off the wall.
- You’re as crazy as a loon.
- That’s ridiculous.
- How can you justify to yourself what you are doing?
- You should be ashamed of yourself!
- How could you do such a thing?
- Every once in a while you need to be put in your place.
- I don’t see how anybody in their right mind would do something like that.
You are crazy
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Raining on the day of the picnic
- Life has its ups and downs.
- It was a chance we had to take.
- It’s just one of those things.
- Life is full of surprises.
- Whatever happens it will be for the best.
- What does that matter?
- There’s not much we can do about it.
- Perhaps it’s really a blessing in disguise.
Raining on the day of the picnic
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Finding that the pet parakeet passed away
- Here today, gone tomorrow.
- It’s a fact of life.
- These things don’t last forever.
- There’s nothing that I can do about it.
- It’s all for the best.
- You know how it is.
- Some good came of it.
- There’s a proper time for everything.
- It’s only natural.
- Nature takes its course.
Finding that the pet parakeet passed away
Out-neutral / Advice url
Flexible
- It’s best just to roll with it punches.
- Now let’s switch gears.
- Don’t get bogged down.
- That’s the way to learn how to do things like that.
- You’re as young as you feel.
- Pick up where you left off.
- Variety is the spice of life.
- When in Rome, do as the Roman’s do.
- Give it another shot.
- What have you got to lose?
- Let's play it by ear.
Flexible
In-positive / Confidence url
Lawyer with new client
- I do everything by the book.
- The odds are in our favor.
- You let me be the judge of that.
- It’s coming along nicely.
- I have everything and under control, and you don’t have to worry about a thing.
- Your secret is safe with me.
- You can rest assured that I’ve got a handle on the situation, and that everything is under control, and that there’s nothing to worry about.
- It’s an open and shut case.
- I will do what needs to be done.
- Leave everything to me.
Lawyer with new client
Out-neutral / Observation url
General-1
- Birds of a feather flock together.
- Blood is thicker than water.
- Actions speaks louder than words.
- It’s raining cats and dogs.
- News travels fast.
- It’s all in a day’s work.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
- The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
- There’s a lot of that going around.
- The more things change, the more they remain the same.
- It’s on its last legs.
- What goes around, comes around.
General-1
Out-neutral / Advice url
Examine-2
- Get both sides of the story.
- There’s more to it than that.
- There’s more to it that meets the eye.
- Take note of it.
- Get to the root of the problem.
- Keep your eyes peeled.
- You’ll see.
- A picture is worth a thousand words
Examine-2