be like peas and carrots

To be very compatible and congenial together; to get along very harmoniously. Krista's my very best friend—we've always been like peas and carrots. You guys have such similar interests, I just knew you'd be like peas and carrots. I'm surprised to hear that those two are fighting—I've always known them to be like peas and carrots.

carrot on a stick

A reward that is promised to someone as an incentive to complete some task. It is a variant of "carrot and stick" or "carrot or stick," which refer to both reward and punishment being simultaneously offered/threatened as an incentive to complete a task. The boss offered a 10% bonus as a carrot on a stick to whomever sold the most units by the end of the month. I always allow myself a chocolate bar as a carrot on a stick to motivate me to go to the gym each day. In my experience, employees are not terribly motivated by an arbitrary carrot on a stick.

carrot or stick

An incentivization method in which a reward and a punishment are simultaneously offered/threatened as a motivation to complete some task. It is a variant of "carrot and stick," which means the same. Hyphenated if used as a modifier before a noun. We use the carrot or stick as motivation at this company: you make more money if you sell more units, or your pay gets docked if you don't meet your quota. Some people like it, but I think their carrot-or-stick approach creates a dynamic of fear in employees. I've always believed that the carrot-or-stick method of coaching is the best way to achieve results with your team.

carrot-and-stick

Of or describing a system of reward and punishment to encourage conformity, improved performance, or good behavior. Always used before a noun. Companies are slowly learning that the carrot-and-stick approach to management is ineffective—employees are much more motivated to do a better job when they are recognized for their hard work. I've always believed that the carrot-and-stick method of coaching is the best way to achieve results with your team. Some people like it, but I think their carrot-and-stick approach creates a dynamic of fear in employees.

carrot-and-stick approach

A motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment system to encourage improved performance or behavior. Companies are slowly learning that the carrot-and-stick approach to management is ineffective—employees are much more motivated to do a better job when they are recognized for their hard work. The government may have to resort to a carrot-and-stick approach if its current negotiating strategy doesn't begin producing results. Some people like it, but I think their carrot-and-stick approach creates a dynamic of fear in employees.

carrot-top

A person with red (orange) hair. I bet my future child will be a carrot-top. Red hair runs in my family. I was actually a bit of a carrot-top when I was young, but my hair turned more auburn as I grew older. Look at that little carrot-top with the curly hair! My goodness, is there anything cuter than a red-haired little girl?

dangle a carrot in front of (one)

To try to entice one with the promise of a reward. Dad's going to have to dangle a carrot in front of us if he wants us to clean out the whole garage. I'm not a kid anymore. You can't just dangle a carrot in front of me to get me to do whatever you want! I bet he'd take over this awful project if you dangled a carrot in front of him—like, say, that empty corner office.

like peas and carrots

1. adjective Very compatible and congenial together. Krista's my very best friend—we've always been like peas and carrots.

2. adverb Very harmoniously. You guys have such similar interests, I just knew you'd get along like peas and carrots.

the carrot and the stick

A motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment system to encourage improved performance or behavior. Companies are slowly learning that the carrot and the stick is an ineffective management approach. Employees are much more motivated to do a better job when they are recognized for their hard work.

See also: and, carrot, stick

use (something) as a carrot

To use something as an incentive or motivation in order to persuade someone to do something. Companies need to start using better benefit packages as a carrot to keep employees loyal or they will inevitably lose their staff to the competition that offers a better deal. I find that it's better to use rewards as a carrot than threaten punishments when trying to get the kids to behave themselves.

carrot and stick

Reward and punishment used as persuasive measures, as in Management dangled the carrot of a possible raise before strikers, but at the same time waved the stick of losing their pension benefits . This term alludes to enticing a horse or donkey to move by dangling a carrot before it and, either alternately or at the same time, urging it forward by beating it with a stick. [Late 1800s]

See also: and, carrot, stick

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

carrot and stick

COMMON If someone uses a carrot and stick method to make you do something, they try to make you do it, partly by offering you rewards and partly by threatening you. But Congress also wants to use a carrot and stick approach to force both sides to negotiate an end to the war. With the announcement that the hostages are to be released, it appears that Washington's new carrot-and-stick policy may already have brought results. Note: Carrot and stick are used in many other structures with a similar meaning. Protests continued, however, so the authorities substituted the carrot for the stick. When the Security Council waves a stick at an offending country, the secretary-general can also offer a carrot as encouragement. Note: The idea behind this expression is that an animal such as a donkey can be encouraged to move forward either by dangling a carrot in front of it or by hitting it with a stick. The carrot represents the tempting offer and the stick represents the threat.

See also: and, carrot, stick

dangle a carrot in front of someone

offer someone a carrot

COMMON If you dangle a carrot in front of someone or offer them a carrot, you try to persuade them to do something by offering them a reward. The team have dangled a $17 million carrot in front of the Italian to remain in North America. He is to offer the public a new carrot by reducing petrol prices. Note: The words carrot, dangle and offer are used in other structures and expressions with a similar meaning. Tax cuts may be offered as a carrot to voters ahead of the next election. The money's dangling there like a huge carrot, and you want to grab it. Note: The image here is of someone encouraging a donkey to move forward by holding a carrot in front of it.

See also: carrot, dangle, front, of, someone

use something as a carrot

If you use something as a carrot, you use it to try to persuade a person or people to do what you want. We show our best staff the path they can take to the top of the organization, using that as a carrot for improved performance. Note: Carrot is used in many other expressions to do with persuading people to do things. The player is being offered this huge sum as a carrot to sign on with the club for another few years. Note: The image here is of someone encouraging a donkey to move forward by holding a carrot in front of it.

carrot and stick

the promise of reward combined with the threat of force or punishment.

The image in this expression is of offering a carrot to a donkey to encourage it to move and using a stick to beat it if it refuses to budge.

1998 New Scientist And if your powers of persuasion prove insufficient, here's a carrot and stick policy.

See also: and, carrot, stick

the carrot and/or (the) stick

rewards offered to somebody to persuade them to do something or try harder, and/or punishment threatened if they do not: She favoured a carrot-and-stick approach to teaching.

See also: and, carrot, stick

carrot and the stick, the

Reward and punishment. The term alludes to dangling a carrot in front of a horse or donkey to get it to move, and threatening or beating it with a stick. An essay about philosopher John Stuart Mill explains that for Mill’s father, “Praise and blame . . . were to man what carrots or sticks are to a horse or an ass . . . It was this carrot and stick discipline to which Mr. John Mill was subjected.” The term dates from the late 1800s.