Women who don't negotiate may not be refraining because they are shy.
And many companies, no longer desperate to fill vacancies, may be refraining from dangling huge salaries in front of candidates.
They appeared to be refraining from the old-school tricks of promising earmarks and other goodies that are anathema to the anti-Washington new members.
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, previously suggested that ministers might be refraining from making an aid claim for fear of antagonising eurosceptics ahead of the UK's referendum.
The Nusra Front appears to be refraining from attacking other Syrian groups, with the exception of clashes with Kurds in the north, where some rebels believe a major Kurdish militia sides with the government.
Republicans focused on the inspector general's findings that wiretap applications for Operation Fast and Furious contained red flags that should have alerted the deputy assistant attorney general who approved them, Jason Weinstein, that agents might be refraining from seizing guns.
