MetaChat - Closings...Sign-offs....Exit Lines

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29 April 2009

Closings...Sign-offs....Exit Lines What's yours?→[More:]I've been doing a lot of business correspondence lately and noting the trends in how to close letters and emails that need a closing.

A lot of people fall in the "Best," camp. Every now and then I see the breezy "Cheers," . Some folks are partial to "Regards," and some "All best," or "All best regards," or "Best wishes,".

I wish I had a standard closing, but I don't. None of those really seem comfortable to me. More often than not I sign off with "Thanks," but that's not always warranted either.

post by: Miko at: 17:39 | 52 comments

Thanks or see ya, depending on the context

posted by doctor_negative 29 April | 17:43

I eagerly await your response and send you my finest

Regards,

mdonley

*tips bowler*

posted by mdonley 29 April | 17:47

scientists are fairly informal.

I use cheers with people I know.
regards for people I don't know well or are quite senior.
many thanks for the staff types.

posted by special-k 29 April | 17:51

"All the best"

"Best regards"

"Wishing you well"

posted by Kangaroo 29 April | 17:51

Keep On Rockin' The Free World,

jason's_planet

posted by jason's_planet 29 April | 17:53

I'm most comfortable with "Thanks," but I think it comes across as overly submissive or ingratiating, so I'm trying to stop using it. But I haven't found anything else that really feels right. In emails, I generally just end the email with "Let me know if you have any questions." and then my name, no real sign-off.

In written letters I pretty much always use "Sincerely."

posted by occhiblu 29 April | 17:55

Be well,

posted by netbros 29 April | 17:56

Power to the People! Venceremos!

jason's_planet

I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie,

jason's_planet

posted by jason's_planet 29 April | 17:56

(all joking aside, I tend to favor "Thanks" or "Cheers")

posted by jason's_planet 29 April | 17:57

I just put my name at the end. If I'm asking for something, I say thanks.

posted by Eideteker 29 April | 18:03

'Thanks,' usually, sometimes 'Best.'

posted by box 29 April | 18:06

In professional correspondence, anyway. If it's personal, I'm probably more likely to go with 'Yours,' or perhaps 'Love.'

posted by box 29 April | 18:13

"-Name" and "Thanks"

My boyfriend does "Cheers" and I think it can sound condescending.

posted by birdie 29 April | 18:13

Cheers for friends, All the best, for everyone else.

posted by By the Grace of God 29 April | 18:16

Best wishes,
Matthew

Except half the time I type my own name wrong, so it's like Mattjhew or something.

I worked with a guy whose signoff was just his own name - in all caps.

JASON

posted by matthewr 29 April | 18:24

In emails, I usually go with just my initial, sometimes preceded by "thanks," if that's appropriate. I can't stand it when people include a sign-off in their signature, because context varies enough that one sign-off DOESN'T cover all situations, thereby guaranteeing a weird juxtaposition of message and sign-off.

A friend of mine has a co-worker who let him in on a little secret. The co-worker said that any time my friend sees that he's ended an email with the phrase, "Have a pleasant day" that it's code for "Go fuck yourself". So...on occasion I've bcc'ed this friend on mine on emails which I've signed, "Have a pleasant day".

In person my departure is often heralded by a "Later, fuckers." which, honestly makes me giggle to even type.

posted by richat 29 April | 18:24

Oh yeah, and I get really annoyed when someone whom I am not chummy with uses "Cheers" in business correspondence. I've gotten breezy "Cheers"es from a guy who I'm in heated debate with about his company's failings. He was the new support manager and in his first BS apologetic email to me, got all pally and breezy with his sign-off? Man that annoyed me.

I wonder sometimes, if people think email isn't real correspondence and treat it cavalierly as such. When it's business, it's business, you know?

And the irony of my complaining thusly, when moments before I admitted to giggling about saying "Later fuckers" to friends isn't lost on me.

posted by richat 29 April | 18:30

Oh, and? I'm not sure I used the word irony right there. I should just go to bed now.

posted by richat 29 April | 18:31

I use all these on occasion:

hugs and kisses, my bitches.

hugs and kisses

suck it, haters!

I love some of you more than others, obviously. (group emails)

I love [name of person] way more than the rest of you today.
-or-
I love [name of person] way more than you today.

That thing I just said up there - that's the way to go. Let's do that.

You are sparkly like a fancy unicorn
------------------------------------

I'm going to stop listing them now. Because really, I'm all over the place with the sign offs and goodbyes. In person most of the time I'll say, "Good seeing you, fucker." Or some variation.

posted by fluffy battle kitten 29 April | 18:35

*kisses*
- gaspode

But for reals, it's usually Sincerely for formal, Regards for informal but business-y and Cheers for informal.

posted by gaspode 29 April | 18:47

people think email isn't real correspondence and treat it cavalierly as such

I totally do this. It just doesn't seem as real as a letter or phone call, so I don't take emails very seriously.

posted by matthewr 29 April | 18:58

Huh, I use "love" all the time, even at work (assuming I know the person _ I don't have to email many strangers). My reallife name begins with g and i rarely type out my long name so most of the time i run the two together "loveg" and that is my entire closing. A principal in catholic school I worked at uses "faithfully", which fit his respectful, non-proselytizing personality.

posted by saucysault 29 April | 19:09

I can't afford not to take them seriously. Also, the more involved in community/city/professional affairs I end up, the more formal I feel called to be. For one thing, I'm trying to get people not to view email as SMS. Who has time to open and read and respond and delete a couple dozen one-liners a day? I try to wrap it all up in a longer mail these days, and sign it like a letter.

But even when we did everything on paper - there were short, casual, friendly notes, and long formal business letters. I think there are times for both tones. We just don't have those visual cues that tell us which one we're looking at, as we did with paper correspondence.

"Thanks" as submissive is something I hadn't thought about. I can totally see it - especially in writing.

posted by Miko 29 April | 19:10

Most always it is "Thanks", or "See you soon". Sometimes it is "Love".

posted by LoriFLA 29 April | 19:16

I should clarify. Sometimes, certainly, it's not all business or anything. I guess what annoys me is when it is business and it's not treated as such.

Later, fuckers. :-)

posted by richat 29 April | 19:29

Oh, and I might be stealing some of fluffy battle kitten's!

posted by richat 29 April | 19:36

"Thanks" as submissive is something I hadn't thought about.

I still use it when I'm actually asking for *favors*, it's just that I noticed I was using it even when I was legitimately delegating work or asking for feedback in a standardized way or whatever. I've tried to stop using it in situations when I'm just asking a person to do something that's well within their job description, or when I'm completing something that's well within mine.

posted by occhiblu 29 April | 20:04

When I was employed - Sincerely

The mister - Love you!

The family - Love, me or sometimes Love, Deborah

Internet friends - ~deborah

posted by deborah 29 April | 20:28

Watch your back.

-IRFH

posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson 29 April | 20:55

Really good point, occhi, and I think I do the same. I'll try using your guideline for a while.

(fighting the urge to write "thanks!" as having cool smart ideas is well within YOUR job description)

posted by Miko 29 April | 21:28

I use "regards" or sometimes "warm regards" when signing off business letters/emails. "Cheers" is way too casual for work related correspondence, but I use/say it a lot informally.

posted by goshling 29 April | 21:57

occhi: "Thanks" is submissive?

Geez. It sure didn't feel terribly submissive in Manhattan law firms. I mean, back when they were still employing me.

Jason:

DO THIS.

DO THAT.

DO THE OTHER THING. NOW NOW NOW! ALL OF IT NOW!

Thanks,

BigShot Attorney

posted by jason's_planet 29 April | 22:13

(But, that said, perhaps your experience of the phrase is different from mine.)

posted by jason's_planet 29 April | 22:15

I'm a Sincerely or Yours Sincerely. Occasionally Respectfully, but I try not to Cordially because it seems so not.

posted by notquitemaryann 29 April | 22:57

Depending on the situation; Take care
or
Made it, Ma! Top of the world!.

posted by arse_hat 29 April | 23:00

I always like to end with:

Hail Bing Crosby! Someone left cheese for the ants!

... thankfully my opening letters these days are not whole heartedly for jobs applied to. I just like to send out random letters from time to time to random people. It cuts down on the loneliness.

posted by eatdonuts 30 April | 00:10

... I should add that when I'm actually intersted, I finish with:

"Thank you for your time and interest. I look forward to speaking with you at your earliest convenience."

posted by eatdonuts 30 April | 00:12

By the way, I'm totally stealing "You are sparkly like a fancy unicorn" from now on.

posted by eatdonuts 30 April | 00:13

Geez. It sure didn't feel terribly submissive in Manhattan law firms. I mean, back when they were still employing me.

I think it depends on who's using it. In my experience, women who tend to be nice anyway often use "thanks" (and "sorry") rather excessively, and it definitely comes across as submissive. It's obviously less submissive when someone in an obvious position of power (who is comfortable with that fact) is using it toward someone obviously not in a position of power, but I haven't found myself meeting enough of those criteria to feel like I can start using it that way in professional settings.

posted by occhiblu 30 April | 01:09

I tend to use "Thanks" when I'm emailing someone to let them know they've left their usb drive in my lab and when to come pick it up. I really am thankful when they come pick up their stuff and tell them so. "We're so happy when those things get to go home."

If it's more formal, I tend to use "Best regards."

Am I screwing up?

When it's informal, it's Love or Hugs and then whatever else seems appropriate, if anything.

Love, lilywing13
;)

posted by lilywing13 30 April | 02:46

Rock on,

posted by Meatbomb 30 April | 03:02

Yeah, I should point out that I work for and with comedians...which is a much different work environment than the one someone like Miko deals with on a daily basis. In the past in corporate/government jobs I've just stuck to bland sign-offs.

When I am doing PR stuff with theatres/clubs/radio/tv I also do not use any smartassery in my sign-offs.

posted by fluffy battle kitten 30 April | 03:48

For normal (short) work emails I usually say
Best wishes,

alto (or alto surname)

but am trying to be more conscious of how I sign off. If the body of the email contains something negative, 'best wishes' might not be the best thing to use.

For family and friends, it's
love alto

or
lots of love
alto

I quite like 'Best', but I've only seen it used by Americans or those who have lived in the US, so haven't really adopted it myself.

I do use 'thanks' and don't particularly consider it submissive - usually, I'll use it when I'm asking for something and I don't believe there's a likelihood that I won't get it.

posted by altolinguistic 30 April | 03:53

When I'm writing for my boss, I ape what she does and she uses "Best" or "Best regards" so I steal that.

For my own ends, if I'm asking for something, I use "Thanks in advance" and I ask for stuff a lot. Appointments, art changes, information, etc.

Funny, I sweat a closing line more than I sweat the content of an email, because my boss told me that most brokers don't like reading long emails; these days, I use a combination of formal written speech and text speech in my daily outgoing letters.

posted by TrishaLynn 30 April | 06:17

If I'm asking a cow-orker for something, "thanx"
In general (internal) e-mails, just "dg"
For external people, the full-on, official signature block with name, title, department name, blah blah blah
Sometimes, if I'm replying after having replied already, just "regards, David"

If you use txt speak in a serious e-mail (or even a non-serious one if you use it unironically, or even in an SMS if I'm feeling grumpy), I'll feel like poking your eyes out. Yeah, grumpy old shit, I know.

posted by dg 30 April | 06:57

I was wondering if that "cow-orker" thing is a new internet meme, but apparently it's quite old.

posted by DarkForest 30 April | 07:24

Best wishes,

Jennifer [include last name if it's a work-related external email]

posted by desjardins 30 April | 08:14

When I worked at the university, I used "Thank you for your assistance", "Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns", or "Regards", as appropriate.

In person my departure is often heralded by a "Later, fuckers."

I am so using this for email from now on. Every last one.

posted by elizard 30 April | 09:02

Formally, 'regards', 'sincerely', but if informally, my typical signoff has been and probably always will be:
"I hope this missive finds you well and scab free"

posted by msali 30 April | 09:13

I have an email signature with my name, department, contact information, etc. etc. so I don't bother signing my emails. I will close them with either, "Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions," or "Thanks!" depending on the situation.

I don't find "Thanks!" to be submissive. I have been told that it comes off as dismissive or condescending, though.

posted by muddgirl 30 April | 09:20

I like to keep it lively. Sometimes I segue the last sentence into the sign-off, something like, "As ever I am in your debt, as you know not in any pecuniary field but in the deeper markets of sound advice and sterling example; such obligation is repaid not in coin but in obedience and regard, and so inasmuch as time allows I remain

Your Humble Servant,

Hugh Janus"

I've developed a rather florid signature for personal correspondence.

But when I'm not painstakingly applying quill to vellum, all bets are off. Business letters and emails are usually tightly edited and direct and finish with "Regards," or, as appropriate, "Thank you." On paper the signature is tight, practiced, and important-looking.

Personal emails often end with "Thanks," because that's how I roll; my peeps do a lot for me, they throw up lots of props for me. Another favorite is "Take Care," and sometimes I'll just put a comma at the end of a final one sentence paragraph, like "See you soon," or "I'm looking forward to the magic show,

HJ"

Return emails, however, carry no signature. Nor do emails to family.

On the phone I say, "See you... 'Bye," and hang up.

posted by Hugh Janus 30 April | 10:01

Well, there's always:

Veuillez agréer, monsieur/madame, l'assurance
de mes sentiments les plus distingués/respectueux.

Unless it's one particular friend, in which case it's:

Your pal,
Figure from recent news coverage
(e.g., Arlen Specter, David Souter)

Or unless it's family, in which case it's "Love".

posted by tangerine 01 May | 18:56

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