Signing Off - What Do You Say?

[boxtops]

The TIA post prompts this.

What do you say at the bottom of an email, for informal business or to someone you don't know well?

I usually say "many thanks" - which doesn't really mean anything, just "thanks for reading this", I guess.

I have a huge dislike of "Kind Regards" - what the devil does that mean? I know several people who use it (or KR), and it always winds me up....

[ladybirder]

Kind regards boxy is what I say.

[yogasun]

I know what you mean Boxtops. I hate everything I say, I annoy myself by saying Best Wishes and even Cheers (AWFUL!!) and Regards. Please suggest something someone that I can adopt and use!

[Obiter]

I am, Sir/Madam, your obedient servant, sounds good to me. (Not that I would ever use it unless facetiously)

[Canary42]

I don't say anything at all - it's just not necessary on this sort of communication.

[corylus]

Hoping to hear from you....

[viv38]

Many thanks or Regards, it varies.

[chrissa1]

I think it all depends on the contents of the email.

Regards, usually covers all.

[Obiter]

I agree with Canary. I was taught that emails, like written office memos, do not require "topping and tailing".

[Ric.ror]

Best wishes

[EcclesCake]

LOL, I thought I was the only one with an irrational hatred for 'Kind Regards'!

Strangely though I tend to sign off with 'Regards' or 'Many thanks', depending on the context of the email.

[Obiter]

If you must sign off, then in most contexts "Yours etc." usually does the trick, being quite neutral.

[ladybirder]

Interested to know who "taught" you Obiter.

[Rosie29]

I look forward to hearing from you

[cupid04]

Kisses...((HUGS))

[Obiter]

Quite right to pick me up on that. I must have acquired it by osmosis, but certainly when I worked in the Civil Service many years ago the rule was that memos were simply headed name of the person you were writing to and ended merely with your signature, no valediction.

[jno]

to someone I don't know, and when I'm initiating the correspondence, I say "sincerely", much as I would in a letter. For subsequent emails in the same correspondence I'd be guided by what the recipient says. I keep "Best wishes" and "Cheers" for very informal correspondence with people I know or I have corresponded with before.

As to what "kind regards" means, it means "this is a fairly formal discussion but this is not the initial email". If you want a literal translation, it's something like "I regard you, or your email, kindly" - but the real significance is the sort of thing you're talking about: it marks the degree of formality/friendliness of the people involved in the correspondence.

[boxtops]

Yours etc is (IMO) far too formal. Im my secretarial days, letters beginning Dear Mr Bloggs were signed Yours Sincerely, letters addressed Dear Sir(s) were signed Yours Faithfully.

I do still use those forms when writing formal emails (e.g. a covering email on a job application or similar) but somce emails have so often replaced the formal written letter these days, I see formality creeping in to a lot of them. I too see no need for Dear Jim etc - on friends' emails, everyone seems to write "Hi Mary" - Hi seems universal. It's the winding up which seems to vary - and that KR really gets to me.

[Obiter]

I suppose that it is long obsolete but I can remember being taught at school that if a letter began "Dear Sir/Madam", then it should close with "Yours faithfully". If it began "Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss ..." the ending should be "Yours sincerely".

[boxtops]

Obiter, yes, our posts must have crossed ^^ :-)