This article lists should, just, soon, very, only, anything, all as “lullaby words”, words that lull your mind into a false sense of security when negotiating with people. You hear one of them, and you think that things are being taken care of, when they probably aren’t.
Excerpt:
“Penny looked thoughtful. “I know another Lullaby Word that got us into trouble.”
“What’s that?” Jeff asked.
“You remember when we didn’t have the prices ready on February first, and you asked me when we would have them?”
“Sure, but I can’t remember what your answer was.”
“That’s because it was a Lullaby. I said, ‘Soon.’ And what that means is…” She looked at me, and I nodded.
“I think it meant, ‘I don’t know, but don’t keep bothering me.’”
“That’s usually a pretty good translation,” I confirmed.
This article lists should, just, soon, very, only, anything, all as “lullaby words”, words that lull your mind into a false sense of security when negotiating with people. You hear one of them, and you think that things are being taken care of, when they probably aren’t.
Excerpt:
For anyone else who happens across the broken link later, https://web.archive.org/web/20190211231159/http://www.ayeconference.com/lullaby-language/ .
The recommended translations:
“Should” → “probably won’t”
“Just” → “have a lot of trouble to”
“Soon” → “I don’t know, but don’t keep bothering me”