Point your toes away. Notice a pattern? Our feet tend to point toward where we want to go—so point them away to signal your interests lie elsewhere. Maybe you really want to help out on a project because it’ll benefit you too, but you’re not immediately sure how it would fit into your schedule.

An' it'd be our own, an' nobody could can us. If we don't like a guy we can say, 'Get the hell out,' and by God he's got to do it. An' if a George said wonderingly, "S'pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing." This one stings, but being desired by an employer you ultimately don’t want to work for can be painful—you don’t want to get their hopes up, but you’re afraid of saying no and hurting their feelings.Too many people use maybe as a gutless way of saying no before ultimately either forgetting about the plan or pushing it off again and again until the other party finally gets the hint. Curley nodded. "Well, then listen," Slim went on. "I think you got your han' caught in a machine. If you don't tell nobody what happened, we ain't going to. But you jus' tell an' try to get this guy canned and we'll tell ever'body, an' then will you get the laugh." Oh! I’m actually going to be out of town during this time to visit my relatives/for a work meeting/etc.” Lennie looked helplessly at George, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose. No matter what excuse you offer, people who are determined to get you to say yes can—and WILL—come up with a way to reel you in.

Me an' Lennie's rollin' up a stake," said George. "I might go in an' set and have a shot, but I ain't puttin' out no two and a half." Kinda off topic, but I am having a lot of trouble finding a song - and this is a great song lyrics channel, so I'm asking here as a last resort: Humans are social animals 2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0389-1; we’re hardwired to cooperate. Turning someone down? That’s like a glitch in the system, going against our instinct to keep the peace.

Recommendations

I’m already committed to an exciting evening of laundry folding.” (Show that your priorities might be elsewhere, but with a wink.) So, the song is by a female artist (or maybe group with a female lead singer) - Maybe Nightcore - and the lyrics are something like: "staring down the hallway" or “standing in the hallway” or “you’re in the hall (hallway?)”

Yeah," he said. "You can have a pup if you want to." He seemed to shake himself free for speech. "Carl's right, Candy. That dog ain't no good to himself. I wisht somebody'd shoot me if I get old an' a cripple." I would love to help, but I’ve already committed to something else during that time frame.” (Respectful and specific.) Then Curley's rage exploded. "Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I'll show ya who's yella."Slim read, "'Yours for success, William Tenner.'" He glanced up at Whit again. "What you want me to read that for?" I’m committed to another project with a tight deadline. Perhaps next time?” (Specific and leaves future opportunities open.)