a carrot and stick



a carrot and stick (approach)

rewards and punishments that influence someone's behavior Our company uses a carrot and stick - more money is the carrot, loss of your job is the stick.
Usage notes: used in different forms to describe different combinations of rewards and punishments: Management's proposed deal is all stick and no carrot. The latest round of peace talks offers both sides the carrot as well as the stick.
Etymology: based on the reward of a carrot (a long orange vegetable) and the punishment of using a stick to encourage a horse to move
See also: and, carrot, stick

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Archbold['a:tʃbəuld]
Katrinakə-TREE-nə (English), kaht-REE-nah (Dutch)English, German, Swedish, Dutch
RoystonROIS-tənEnglish (Rare)
Leifr-Ancient Scandinavian
Roparzh-Breton
Ruqayya-Arabic