In-positive / Relief url
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
- We nipped it in the bud.
- It happened just in the nick of time.
- That takes a big load off of my mind.
- Thank goodness for little things.
- It’s just what the doctor ordered.
- We were saved just by the skin on our teeth.
- Things will finally get back to normal.
- When I heard the news, I breathed a sigh of relief.
- Our ship has finally come in.
Getting a bonus from work to pay off loans
In-positive / Realizing url
Finding out 'who did it' at the end of a mystery novel
- I could see it right from the beginning.
- I suspected as much.
- It finally dawned on me.
- That explains everything!
- That’s it, in a nutshell.
- It was the missing link.
- Just put two and two together, and it all makes sense.
- I saw it coming, because though it didn’t seem so at first, in retrospect it was a dead give away.
- It will do it to you every time.
- It was on the tip of my tongue all along.
- That never would have occurred to me.
- I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me.
Finding out 'who did it' at the end of a mystery novel
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
In-positive / Remembering url
Hearing a song from the past
- That brings back old memories.
- That’s as old as the hills.
- I last heard that many moons ago.
- It’s a blast from the past.
- It brings back good memories.
- It’s just like old times.
- Let’s have a walk down memory lane.
Hearing a song from the past
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a fellow worker who was scolded for being late too often
- Between you and me, I think you got off pretty easy this time.
- You put up a good front.
- You and I know that you can do better than that.
- That’s to be expected.
- I’d say you got off easy.
- It’s not earth shattering.
- What did you expect?
- You need to stand up for yourself.
- It happens to the best of us.
- You and I know that you can do better than that.
To a fellow worker who was scolded for being late too often
In-positive / Determination url
Musician practicing
- I have my work cut out for me.
- When I put my mind to it I can do anything!
- It’s a tough road ahead, but mark my word, I'm going to make it.
- I’m determined to show the true grit that is part of my DNA.
- Let’s rise to the occasion.
- I am coming up to speed, slowly but surely.
Musician practicing
Out-neutral / Advice url
Others - Protect yourself-1
- You’ve got to watch him like a hawk.
- You’ve over estimated him.
- Appearances can be deceiving.
- Beauty is only skin deep.
- Don’t let him out of your sight.
- She’s as slippery as an eel.
- If you want my advice, I’d say just drop him like a hot potato.
- He’ll take you to the cleaners.
- Let him make the first move.
- She’s got you in the palm of her hand.
- He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.
- He’s out to lunch.
- Sometimes he acts like a bull in a china shop.
Others - Protect yourself-1
In-positive / Hope url
When your candidate is elected
- Maybe there’s hope for us yet.
- It could turn things around.
- Things are looking up.
- It’s the wave of the future.
- That’s a good sign.
- I hope to heaven that what you’re telling me is true.
- It took a long time to happen, but it was worth waiting for.
- At times we didn’t think it would be successful, but now it might be a dream come true.
- The best is yet to come.
When your candidate is elected
Out-neutral / Advice url
Improve
- Promise to do better.
- It should teach you a lesson.
- Act your age.
- Make a clean break with the past, with your old way of doing things.
- Act like a human being.
- Do what you do, but do it well.
- Don’t be such a nerd.
- Practice makes perfect.
- Stop playing around.
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
- Shape up or ship out.
Improve
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 / Doubt url
Looking for keys that were lost in the park
- It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
- Maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong place.
- Maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree.
- I think we’re wasting our time.
- Sometimes you just have to know when to call it quits.
- Let’s just call the whole thing off.
- After all this effort, I no longer know if I’m coming or going.
- I’m totally tuckered out.
- I think it’s a lost cause.
- Let’s do something else for a while and just keep my eyes open for it.
Looking for keys that were lost in the park
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
We are adversaries
- It’s every man for himself.
- Let’s face it, we’re on opposite sides of the fence.
- I’m not willing to wait.
- I beg to differ with you.
- You give me no choice.
- It’s a dog eat dog world.
- I’m just acting in my own best interest, and I expect you to do the same.
- May the best man win!
- That goes both ways.
- That’s for me to know and you to find out.
- I’m ready to play hardball.
- Take it or leave it.
- Don’t ask me any questions and I won’t tell you any lies.
- I’m dead set against it.
- I need the whole kit and caboodle.
- All’s fair in love and war.
We are adversaries