What words to you put at the end of an email?
Or at the end of a letter? (Does anyone still write letters?)
In her column in The Sunday Telegraph Francis Whiting raised this issue because she had received a letter (ah! Some people still write letters!) which had the word ‘Delightfully’ at the end just before the signature.
Francis was so tickled by this that she said she will adopt this as a sign-off herself.
I’m less impressed.
What does it mean?
That I (the email/letter writer) am a delightful person and that I have just written is delightful?
A bit presumptuous, surely?
As anyone who has received an email from me knows, I very often (not always, but often) sign-off with ‘cheers’—a cheerful, all-purpose ending.
Francis said that this has also been her go-to ending up until now, but from now on she’ll send people the message that she has written ‘delightfully’ as the sign-off.
Hhmm.
Not sure about that.
How about you?
How do you end emails (or letters)?
Do you write ‘Yours Sincerely’ (or perhaps the one-word abbreviation ‘sincerely’)?
But if, in my haste, I leave this off a short note, does that mean I’ve suddenly become insincere?
Then there’s ‘Yours Faithfully’ (again with a one-word version ‘Faithfully’).
But who or what am I claiming to be faithful to?
My favourite political party?
My favourite restaurant?
My Christian faith?
What am I claiming to be faithful to?
Francis Whiting goes on to claim there are other options, such as: ‘Looking forward to hearing from you’ (surely not! It only encourages them!); ‘best wishes’ or ‘warm wishes’ (but do you care what I am wishing for you? Or what temperature my wishes are?); ‘cordially’ (better, I suppose, than ‘bitterly’); or ‘take care’ (if I hadn’t written that would you have been careless and risked life and limb?)
So, what last words do you use?
Pass on your suggestions and I’ll published them here.
My longer piece about 'monocultural' is now up on the Sky News website -- here's the link: 'Shared culture': Pauline Hanson's reasonable wish for Australia weaponised by those who resent the idea our nation should have a common social purpose | Sky News Australia
Tonight I will join John Stanley for 'The Word Clinic' on 2GB, 4BC, 2CC and the Tapt Radio Network -- right after the 10pm news.
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BY THE WAY...
If you'd like to see my A-Z list of Aussie slang, you'll find it here in the Australian Geographic website -- A-Z list of Aussie slang. Here’s the link: The A-Z of Aussie slang - Australian Geographic
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