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-negative / Push away url
I don’t want to do it
- That’s the last thing I want.
- I’m not crazy about it.
- I’m not in the mood.
- No thank you.
- Thanks but no thanks.
- That gives me the creeps.
- I wouldn’t do that for all the money in the world.
- For me it’s just a big turnoff.
- Do your own dirty work.
- That’s not my problem.
- That’s not my cup of tea.
- I’m not going to stoop so low as to do something like that.
- That’s of no concern to me.
- It doesn’t float my boat.
- I don’t feel like it.
I don’t want to do it
Out-positive / Agreement url
Do you like my new style of dressing?
- It’s growing on me.
- It looks fine to me.
- I think it’s a change for the better.
- I think it’s a step in the right direction.
- I agree with your decision.
- Suits me just fine.
Do you like my new style of dressing?
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a chunk of data from a laptop hard drive
- That will be the straw that breaks the camels back.
- I’ve taken about all that I can take.
- This is driving me so batty that I could scream.
- What rotten luck.
- I give up.
- I can’t bear to face it.
- Why me?
- Don’t even talk to me about it.
- It's not my day.
Losing a chunk of data from a laptop hard drive
Out-neutral / Advice url
Expand your choices
- Don’t knock it till you try it.
- Reach for the stars.
- Reach for the sky.
- There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
- Give it one more try.
- Don’t snub your nose at it.
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- It depends on what you want to do.
Expand your choices
In-positive / Realizing url
Hearing that a company went bankrupt
- That was patently obvious to anyone who gave it more than two seconds of thought.
- The secret is out.
- There’s been trouble brewing for a long time.
- I saw it right off the bat.
- Another one bites the dust.
- From what I understand, this is what really happened.
- The fact is I’ve been expecting that to happen all along.
- In the end, what do they have to show for it?
- Seeing is believing.
- I had a hunch that that’s what was happening.
- We should have seen it coming.
- I’m well aware of it, but I denied it to myself.
- It’s the same old problem all over again.
- That’s it in a nutshell.
Hearing that a company went bankrupt
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Being bypassed for a promotion
- That’s life in the fast lane.
- What’s done is done.
- I guess it’s the way it had to be.
- Maybe it’s all for the best.
- It doesn’t really matter one way or another.
- That’s the way people are.
- It’s not that important.
- I’m humbled.
- Go right ahead, I don’t mind.
- We should just learn from our mistakes.
- You’re the boss.
- Let’s chalk it up to experience.
Being bypassed for a promotion
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-negative / Annoyed url
Stop hurting me
- Don’t put me down.
- I didn’t come here to be put down.
- Why are you giving me such a hard time?
- What do you have against me?
- You are driving me up the wall.
- I’ve had just about enough of this.
- What am I going to do with you?
- What kind fool do you take me for?
- Go find another sucker.
Stop hurting me
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
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Not getting into the college that’s the first choice
- Now that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
- I think I’m just have to start getting used to it.
- That’s all there is to it.
- Let’s make the most of it.
- It’s just as well.
- You’ve got to take the good with the bad.
Not getting into the college that’s the first choice
In-negative / Confusion url
To someone explaining calculus
- I haven’t the foggiest/slightest/vaguest idea of what you’re talking about.
- I can’t make heads or tails of it.
- I don’t understand.
- Whatever do you mean?
- You’ve got me stumped.
- I don’t know what to make of it.
- It doesn’t make any sense.
- How could that possibly be?
- It’s Greek to me.
To someone explaining calculus