Closing salutations - business correspondence/emails

[Anonymous]

I always use "Sincerely" for actual paper letters. I usually use "Thanks" for emails.

[Anonymous]

"Best" always cracks me up. Best what?

"All best" is even funnier. It's like finding a way to leave out all of the connecting words so the receiver can interpret as they want. Is it "All my best" - "All best wishes"- "We're all the best" - "All best things come to an end"?
It's way to casual for my my liking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Have a blessed day!"

How about 'Bless your heart!"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love this thread. So funny.

I did "best" until that other thread. Now I"ve been vacillating (can I use that word on DCUM?) between "thanks" if appropriate and --Suzie (not my real name).

I've played with 'yours" and "sincerely" in emails to people I don't know...don't like them.

Cheers reminds me of happy hour and is WAY to informal to me. Unless I'm toasting somebody...

I like you, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok Grammar Nazi, here's the thing about email correspondence. it is not an exercise in proper letter writing. it's more like... a halfway point between phone calls and text messages. if you write emails sounding like you just dipped your quill in an ink jar, you are culturally inappropriate, and therefore, your grammar is irrelevant.

also, bee tee dub, language evolves. who says "how do you do?" anymore? who actually replies to "how are you?" with "fine!" anymore? no one, i tell you. NO. ONE.

people aren't "Fine" or "Doing well" anymore; they are "Good." everything is Good. is that grammatically correct???

This is just wrong, wrong, wrong. If I hear someone say good instead of fine, I assume they don't know how to speak properly.

On a side note: I dated someone once who would always answer, "I'm fine, thanks." It was utterly charming. He was kind of a formal guy but very warm and the phrase had a certain lilt. He'd always look you in the eye and smile as he said it, and it made you feel like he was mindful of you even in a throwaway part of conversation. Whenever I think of him, that's what I remember. Wish my description could convey how very lovely he was. . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I remain, as always, your humble and devoted servant," and then, in subsequent correspondence with the same person,

"I remain &c, &c,"

But really, I use cheers, best, and best regards for the relatively informal stuff. Sincerely for more formal.

The one I really dislike is "thanks in advance". It's like you're assuming I'm going to do the thing you're asking me to do, that my compliance is a foregone conclusion, and that you'll have something to thank me for. That's not a safe assumption.

OMG, I love you! I use "I remain, etc." and "yhs" as a joke in some of my personal emails!

[Anonymous]

I usually use "Thanks so much, (name)" If I don't know you well, I just say, "Thank you, (name)"

[Anonymous]

I often have occasion to read letters from previous decades (and centuries) and think it's intertesting to see the way conventions have changed, but also how some of the perfunctory salutations we use today made a little more sense as they were written in the past.

I'm too tired to think of older examples right now, but in the early decades of the 20th century, you might see closing salutations like, "Believe me, very truly yours".

[Anonymous]

I like Bye, bye for now. Or Catch you later alligator.

[Anonymous]

Military world. various combinations of Respectfully, Very Respectfully, V/R, R

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use 'best regards' it's part of my signature, so goes standard to everyone unless I change it for specific email either to something more or less formal.

This sounds awkward. I use (depending upon the recepient):

Best,

Thanks,

Thank you,

Regards,

--XXXXX

Peace in the Middle East,

Awesome sauce,




But I'm a weirdo like that. Blame Phish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use 'best regards' it's part of my signature, so goes standard to everyone unless I change it for specific email either to something more or less formal.

I HATE the salutation as part of the email signature. Very secretary-esque. Is your signature written in purple comic sans too?

[Anonymous]

After reading many of these responses I'd like to add an additional one... I think I may have to start using it on non-responsive co-workers....


Bite me,
<insert name>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like:

Never Change,
Jane

I love this one! Think I'll add a twist to mine.

Stay black,
Shirley

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering the same thing after that thread where someone couldn't stand "regards".

I use regards or best regards.

Me too. I occasionally use thank you if the context is right.

I think simply signing off with my name (e.g., - Jane) is too informal for most of my correspondence.