Out-positive / Apology url
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
- I only wish I could have done more.
- I did the best I could.
- I’m sorry, my hands are tied.
- It might not make any sense to you, but that’s what they decided, and I hope you understand.
- I’m sorry that it’s not the answer you hoped for.
- My apologies that it took me longer to get the answer than I thought it would.
- I hope that we’ll be able to give you a better answer next time.
- I’m hoping this is something you can live with for the time being.
- I was told to explain to you that it’s due to circumstances beyond their control.
- Please give us a chance to make it up to you next time.
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a bundle in an investment scam
- I always seem to fall into the same trap.
- I’m in deep trouble.
- When am I going to stop making the same mistake over and over again?
- It scared the living daylights out of me.
- I could have kicked myself.
- I could just kill myself.
- I'm shaken to the core.
- The thing that pains me so much is that the disaster was so unnecessary and so avoidable.
- Sometimes the things that I feared the most, turn out to be the least of my worries.
- I'm pulling my hair out.
Losing a bundle in an investment scam
In-positive / Confidence url
Starting a new job
- I’m going straight to the top.
- I have what it takes.
- I’ll get the hang of it.
- Things are going my way.
- I know where it’s at.
- I’m perfectly capable of doing it.
- I’m getting the hang of it.
- It’s going ahead as planned.
- You can rest assured that everything will be taken care of, and that everything will exceed your expectations.
Starting a new job
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-positive / Agreement url
What do you say about my leaving the steak in the oven another 5 minutes?
- That’s just the way I like it.
- That sounds reasonable.
- That sounds like a good idea to me.
- Whatever you say is fine with me.
- That would really hit the spot.
- That would do me just fine.
- That’s exactly what I had in mind.
- Don’t even give it a second thought.
- Have it your way.
What do you say about my leaving the steak in the oven another 5 minutes?
Out-negative / Anger url
Stop what you are doing-2
- Are you trying to start up with me?
- You wouldn’t dare.
- Let that be a warning to you.
- There’s no excuse for that.
- Who do you think I am?
- Hold your horses.
- Don’t you dare do any such thing.
- Haven’t you done enough harm already?
- Don’t make a scene.
- Let’s drop the subject!
- Wait just a cotton picking minute.
- Where do you think you’re going?
- You just can’t help yourself, can you?
- Enough of that.
- OK, enough of this for now.
Stop what you are doing-2
Out-positive / Thanks url
After your boss tells you he convinced management to give you a nice raise
- I owe you a debt of gratitude Thank you for your time and effort, and of course the result.
- My gratitude knows no bounds.
- You helped me out of a tight financial squeeze.
- I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.
- Thanks for the vote of confidence.
- Thanks a bunch.
- Thanks for letting me know as soon as you found out.
- You don’t know how good that makes me feel to hear you say that.
- That’s great.
After your boss tells you he convinced management to give you a nice raise
Out-neutral / Advice url
Caution-2
- Leave it well enough alone.
- You’ll regret it in the morning.
- Let sleeping dogs lie.
- Don’t stir up a hornets nest.
- It’s going to backfire on you.
- Don’t rock the boat.
- Your actions might actually make it harder for you to accomplish what you want.
- Those are famous last words.
- Take it one step at a time.
- Sink your teeth into it, and take your time to appreciate the pros and cons of the new situation before you call it a day.
- Hold that thought.
- You lucked out on that one, but next time you may not be as lucky.
- Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- It’s always good to ask.
- It's spreading like wild fire.
- Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
- Don’t jump the gun.
- Don’t even think about it.
- You’re leaving yourself wide open.
- I understand how much you want it, but it costs an arm and a leg, and it’s just not worth it.
- Easy does it.
Caution-2
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Hearing the stock market went down
- I don’t know if it’s of comfort to any of us, but we’re all in the same boat.
- I have no gripe and no regrets, because I went into the situation with my eyes wide open.
- You win some you loose some.
- I can live with that.
- That’s show biz.
- What goes up has to come down.
- Oh, well.
- I saw the handwriting on the wall.
Hearing the stock market went down
In-positive / Confidence url
Preparing a new military strategy
- The coast is clear.
- Don’t you worry about it.
- Heaven helps those who help themselves.
- Everything’s under control.
- I know what the score is.
- I’m ready, willing, and able.
- He who hesitates is lost.
- Things are falling into place.
- I just had a brainstorm.
- We’re entering the home stretch, and I think we’ll soon see that all our hard work will soon be handsomely rewarded.
- It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
Preparing a new military strategy
In-positive / Surprise url
A friend wins the race for mayor
- Now that takes the cake!
- Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.
- In all my years of experience I’ve never seen anything like it.
- Wasn’t that a real kick in the pants?
- Oh, my goodness.
- It left me speechless.
- Isn’t that a kick in the pants?
- How do you like them apples?
A friend wins the race for mayor
In-neutral / Caution url
A publisher given a story that might be libelous
- I just can’t chance it.
- I’m going to treat it with kid gloves.
- It could blow sky high.
- Let’s not rush into things.
- I may be sitting on a time bomb.
- One option is for is for me to just wait it out.
- I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- It’s best if I wait until the whole thing blows over.
- I just don’t feel like bucking the system.
- I’m inclined to just tiptoe around the whole situation.
- I think if I got involved in any way I would be playing with fire.
- My gut feeling is that I should just leave it well enough alone.
- The fact that no one else wants to do it is not a good sign.
- 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