Conference thebay::joyoflex

    A few years ago, we received a telex from Germany, which ended with
    the usual MFG  (abbreviation of "Mit freundlichem Gruss").

    A colleague undertook to reply in his best German freshly learnt
    from school; so he politely started with:   

    		Sehr geehrte Mfg !   (Dear Mfg)
    
     
    Bien � vous,
    
    	roger    

    On the subject of letters, a few:
    
    I usually close with "Sincerely," since I mean what I say.
    
    William F. Buckley, Jr., generally closes with, "Cordially,".
    
    H. Allen Smith, when irritated at someone, took a leaf from a child's
    letter-to-an-editor, and closed with, "Worst regards,".
    
    My favorite of all time, though, was in an Arthor Conan Doyle story,
    where his (somewhat eccentric) character, Professor George Edward
    Challenger, wrote a blistering letter to someone he was furious
    at and closed it:
    
                                  I remain, Sir, as I began,
    
                                  George Edward Challenger
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    
    P.S. I used the "Challenger" close on a letter of complaint once
         and got back a reply by _telegram_.  That was before the days
         of overnight delivery, of course.
      

    > That was before the days of overnight delivery, of course.

    We had that too, once.

Here's something I wrote on the subject, a couple years ago, for another
forum.  The details are kinda obscure out of context, but I think you'll
get the idea. 

  Those of you who correspond with me may have noticed that I like to sign
  off messages with the word "Cheers".  You can't really sign your name (in
  handwriting) to a mail message or notesfile entry, of course, but many
  people type their names anyway, despite the fact that PERSONAL_NAME headers
  and NMAIL footers automatically identify them several times already.  Other
  people include their initials, little animals composed from ASCII
  characters, clever sayings, and so forth.  Well, my initials are already
  present in my username, so I settle for "Cheers". 

  This usage is, partly, a theatrical pun.  The word is a concise toast (as
  in drinking), and is also an appropriate affectation for a mild Anglophile
  (sure confuses real Limeys, such as VNS readers!).  But the sense in which
  I most enjoy the word is as a STAGE DIRECTION, as in "cue the audience to
  start applauding" or "applause comes here".  Somehow the idea of ending my
  mail messages with curtain calls appeals to me...as does the idea that only
  theater people will recognize it! 

    The practice of putting one's name at the end of a note is the subject
    of one of the topics in the ETIQUETTE conference.  It's less meaningful
    these days, what with "personal name" fields in VAX Notes; but I
    started "signing" my notes with my name in the days before VAX Notes
    and personal names. 
    
    About the original subject, I notice that there are different norms
    in different regions or organizations.  Here in DEC Far East, I
    notice that "Best regards" is used a lot; I guess just plain "Regards"
    isn't good enough.  "Warm regards" from someone in Singapore, I
    suppose to have a double meaning.  "Cheers" I get from a lot from
    UK correspondents.  And so forth.
    
  --Simon
    

    Re .5 (Simon):
    
    >...I notice that "Best regards" is used a lot; I guess just plain "Regards"
    >isn't good enough. ...

    Oh, I think "regards" means you are aware of another person's presence
    and existence.  In that context, "Best regards," would mean you
    wish the person well, and the H. Alan Smith example, "Worst regards,"
    would mean you would wish the opposite.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    I take the meaning of "Worst regards."  But my point is that when
    one gets to type from habit "Best regards" without even thinking,
    it's rather perfunctory, and no more meaningful than plain "Regards"
    or even nothing at all.  Over here, I suppose that I would have
    to say "Very best regards" or something totally different from the
    norm to really wish someone well from my heart.
    
  --Simon
    

    Signing one's name to the bottom of a note isn't necessarily
    superfluous, since many people use the personal name field for
    witty remarks rather than their names.
    
    re:.2
    
    Why does the phrase "days of overnight delivery" strike me as
    an oxymoron? How can it be the "days" of anything if it's done
    at night? :-)
    
    --- jerry

I picked up the sign-off "Cheers" from my advisor Allen Newell.  For
years I resisted and tried all kinds of alternatives, but the
simplicity, joyousness, and collegiality of Cheers could not be
improved upon.  For the last five or six years I have been using it,
and I have been noticing other people (not UK, but USA-types) around
me cottoning on.

Cheers,
	-- Kamesh

Re -.1, I quite like, but don't use, the related German signoff:

   Tschuss,

I don't know the etymology, but I've wondered if it might be a Teutonification
of "Cheers", picked up from American/British visitors/military personnel.   Any
one out there able to clarify.

Cheers,
Andrew

    when sending along things to business associates that I want a response
    to, I sign off:        rsvp!
    
    when I'm asking someone for something, I show I am appreciative
    in advance for what they will do with:       thanks! (or thanx!)
    
    when I'm sending to friends, and it's casual, it's
    
    ciao
    or
    ciao for now
    
    -Jody
    

    
    There's an entertaining note from Robert Benchley to someone in
    an anthology I have. It's all nonsense words, but done with the
    right structure and meter to sound right. I can't remember all of
    it, but the sign-off is one I've adopted at times:
    

    
    
        Inkly tinkly pobble-bockle abble squabs? flosky! beeble trimble
    flosky! Okulscratch a bibblebongibo ferry moyassity amsky flamsky
    damsky crocklefeater squiggs.
    
        Flisky wisty pomm,
    
    Slushypipp

    
    	If I can find it, I'll post the whole thing
    	-- Glinch.
    
    

    
    I can't remember why , but I always used to sign-off official letters
    with simply 'Yours' , and then my name .
    
    Now I use 'regards' as a formality , or 'best regards' if the person
    has at some time , bought me a pint .
    
    I have never used 'cheers' in writing , but almost exclusively as
    an alternative to 'thank you' . Having lived in Munich for 18 months
    I've found myself saying 'prost' before tilting glass to face .
    
    toodle-pip
    
    John J
    

    one of the funniest I've seen, from someone fairly close, was
    
    fond(ling)ly yours,
    
    
    ;-)
    
    -Jody
    

    
    Re .14
    
>   from someone fairly close 
    
    They'd have to be , unless they had long arms .
    
    John J
    

Ben Franklin is rumored to have closed with (in a caustic letter):

        blah blah blah... you are my enemy and I remain forever

	Yours,
	B. Franklin



(or some such close paraphrasing)


--ag

    Didn't someone start summat like a "Society for the revival of dormant
    JOYOFLEX notes?"  If so, you certainly joined well, .16!
    
    Anyone recall what the society was called?  It is as if an Occult Hand
    wiped my memory clear of all recollection.
    

re .17 

thanks - i've been reading this note for many months -
it's taken me a while to work though every topic (word
association football excluded!)

--angela

    Well, I should hope SO!!! :-)
    
    (the very thought makes my blood run cold!!)
    
    Dan
    

    I don't read 396.* -- I just try to BOX it up...