In-negative / Explaining url
Throwing out a bag of laundry by mistake
- How was I supposed to know?
- What did I do this time?
- That never would have occurred to me.
- I wish I had known.
- I had no way of knowing.
- OK, I’m not perfect.
- I apologize profusely.
- It was totally unintentional.
- There’s nothing I can do about it now.
- My humble apologies.
- Sorry about that.
- If I knew what I was doing, I certainly wouldn’t have done it.
- I certainly didn’t do it on purpose.
- They looked so similar that I had no way of knowing.
- It came as a surprise to me.
- I’m awfully sorry.
- How was I supposed to know that?
Throwing out a bag of laundry by mistake
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a friend who just scored the winning shot of a basketball game
- I think you’ve been doing your homework.
- You’ve done it again.
- You saved the day.
- I’ve really got to hand it to you.
- That’s my man.
- You’ve got the magic touch.
- It’s your lucky day.
- Your timing was perfect.
- The opportunity landed in your lap, and you made the most of it.
- Way to go!
- Attaboy!
To a friend who just scored the winning shot of a basketball game
Out-negative / Anger url
You will regret this
- You’ll be sorry.
- You can dish it out but you can’t take it.
- You’ll pay for this.
- You can’t get away with that.
- You had it coming to you.
- You deserve everything you get.
You will regret this
Out-positive / Encouragement url
For a son who is having difficulty learning how to read
- You’re beginning to catch on.
- Slowly but surely.
- Stay focused, keep your eye on the ball, and don’t let your mind wander.
- All things take time and effort, that’s to be expected.
- With a bit of work and luck, it will all work out fine in the end.
- You’ll look back on this and smile that you ever doubted your own ability to succeed.
- I know what it’s like because I went though a similar situation when I was your age.
- It’s really coming along.
- You’re really getting the hang of it.
For a son who is having difficulty learning how to read
Out-neutral / Advice url
Hope
- Life is worth living.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- Tomorrow is another day.
- Better luck next time.
- Look on the bright side.
- Count your blessings.
- Appreciate it while it lasts.
- Little things mean a lot.
- Things often have a way of just working themselves out.
Hope
In-negative / Desperation url
Running away from the Cossacks
- I’m knee deep in alligators.
- I’ve got to get a handle on the situation before it’s too late.
- The people around me are dropping like flies.
- I’m going out of my mind.
- It’s a matter of life and death.
- I’m overcome with fear.
- I just can’t deal with it anymore.
- What going on here?
- I just can’t put up with it any longer.
- It’s every man for himself.
- What else have I got?
Running away from the Cossacks
Out-positive / Concern url
To a friend whose new job is harder than he expected
- How’s this working out for you?
- Perhaps you got more than you bargained for.
- Your old job is a hard act to follow.
- You have to give it time for the dust to settle, to see if it works out.
- Things sometimes get worse before they get better.
- This is a chance for you to show your mettle.
- Rise to the challenge!
To a friend whose new job is harder than he expected
In-positive / Happiness url
Being offered a great job
- It’s music to my ears.
- That’s terrific.
- I’m sure I’m really going like it.
- That’s great news.
- This calls for a celebration.
- That’s absolutely fantastic.
- That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.
- Its music to my ears.
- I’ve been beaming with joy ever since I heard the good news.
- This makes me very happy.
- I’ll be looking forward to it.
- Why that’s great.
- That’s the best news I heard all day.
- You’ve made my day.
- It's truly awesome.
Being offered a great job
Out-neutral / Advice url
Restraint-3
- Loose lips sink ships.
- Don’t get all worked up.
- Take it easy!
- Keep it under wraps.
- Don’t spill the beans.
- Grab a hold of yourself, don’t you have any self-control?
- Keep it to yourself.
- Don’t go overboard.
- You can’t take the law into your own hands.
- You got a good thing going, and I wouldn’t drop it so fast if I were you.
- Let it drop.
Restraint-3
In-negative / Explaining url
Feeling depressed
- Things have gotten completely out of control.
- I’m not feeling well now, but hopefully I’ll feel a lot better in the near future.
- I’ve been better.
- I have to figure it out for myself.
- You’re catching me at a bad time.
- I’m having a tough time.
- Recently I’ve been bouncing around like a yo-yo.
- I’ve had my ups and downs.
- I'm not myself.
- I have a lot on my mind.
- I never said it was going to be any different from the way it turned out.
- I never saw myself that way before.
- I feel like a bundle of nerves.
- I feel like a bump on a log.
- If you only knew what I’ve been through.
- I’ve been feeling under the weather.
- What I've been through has really knocked the stuffing out of me.
- Whenever I’m nervous, I tend to clam up.
- After a while, I just ran out of steam.
Feeling depressed
In-positive / Determination url
Writer writing a novel
- This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
- I’m going to do it slowly, getting my feet wet gradually step by step.
- I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time.
- I’ll hit the ground running.
- Now I really have to buckle down and get to work.
- Ready or not here I come.
- Another day and I’m up at the crack of dawn.
- I’ve paid my dues.
- Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
- I feel like I have boundless energy.
- I’m making progress, slowly but surely.
- I want to put some finishing touches on it before I wrap it up.
Writer writing a novel
In-positive / Surprise url
You win the lottery
- The experience was so strange that I felt I was entering into never-never land.
- You could have knocked me over with a feather.
- Oh my gosh!
- It happened just outta the blue.
- It really blew my mind.
- Can you believe it?
- Boy, I’m telling you.
- One thing happened after another, and suddenly I found myself in a position that was totally unexpected.
You win the lottery