Does anyone else ever have problems with how to end e-mails? Letter-writers: same question only with letters. I just had to reply to an e-mail from my organ teacher. That was awkward. Similarly when I had to write to a group of English professors, and a classmate whom I didn't know very well, and the principal of my new school.
It's all very well when writing to family or girl friends. You simply end "Love, Andrea." (Or whatever your name happens to be.) Or, if you're feeling more effusive, you could say something like "I LOVE YOU! Andrea." Or even, "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Andrea." And then you can throw in as many exclamation points as are appropriate to the situation. And of course, you can preface it with many other words of aff.
It gets a little more sticky with guy friends. "See ya" usually works pretty well, or better yet "see you tomorrow" (or Tuesday or next week or whenever you will actually see him). But then you run into problems with such guy friends as may be in the Navy and whom you probably won't see for a good long while. Somehow "See you in a couple of years" doesn't really work so well as a frequent closing. But then, if it's long term you can be a little more pious and close with a "God bless" or "I'm praying for you" or something. And of course, you can always do something a little more informal, like "your pal, Andrea" or "your land lubbing friend, Andrea." Hee hee hee. I just thought of that last one. I'll have to remember that. And as a last resort you can just abruptly stop, and hope he doesn't notice. "And then we all laughed really hard. It was wicked funny. Andrea".
When it comes to professors and non-peers it gets a little more stressful. I've used things like "warmly" (which seems a little more their generation than mine) and "I hope you're having a wonderful, relaxing summer" (which sounds suspiciously like I wasn't sure how to close the e-mail, or worse, like I'm signing their high school yearbook). The best is when you're writing a thank you e-mail. Then you can get away with "Thanks Again, Andrea" or better yet, "Thanks Again (SO much), Andrea." But in all of this I still haven't hit upon the perfect e-mail closing.
Recently (as in, within the past few months) Melissa and I were discussing this, and our conversation began the downward spiral into frivolity, as it is wont to do. We began coming up with all sorts of fantastic adverbs with which to close e-mails. "Concomitantly, Andrea." "Stylistically, Andrea." "Fanatically, Andrea." The next e-mail I sent to Melissa ended "Salubriously, Andrea."
So really the dilemma need not be a stressful puzzle so much as an opportunity for creative greatness. Go to it friends! Write those e-mails! And embrace the awkward closings!
8 comments:
A wise man once said, "Who cares what they think of your ending?" I have taken those words to heart and live by them. There is no awkwardness, only resolution. And remember, there is only do or do not, there is no try...
I generally like to try "your little chu-chi woo chi ooo-chi coo-chi face" to my profs, but find they don't respond too well to that...
Actually, I borrow an ending I saw used at my editing job in grad school: "Best." I figure it must be sophisticated, as well-educated people use it. And it does the job and without sounding too sappy/unprofessional.
I usually save my out loud laughing for people's posts, but Chad, you're comment got a good out loud laugh:) And that was a good tip, too!
Thanks for all the good ideas. I've often wondered about this too. Glad to know that I'm not alone in the not-sure-how-to-end universe.
I've found that an abrupt "the end" works relatively well... at least under some curcumstances.
:-Þ
There are so many holidays in Israel that "chag sameach" is an easy choice. And there's always "Shabbat shalom" (for before the Sabbath) and "Sh'vua to ("a good week" for after the Sabbath.)
But what to do here? My writing teacher used "In joy," but I'm not sure I could pull it off.
If I was only a decade or two or three older, I'd have so many more choices!
Yours are way funnier, Andrea. I think I'll emulate you!
Lisa
So true.
I spent years of my life obsessing about closings to letters and emails.
Yeah, cause you write so many of them ;)
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