To accompany this thread, a question about the other end of letters: How do you greet people when writing, be it a letter or an email? Dear So-and-So? I ask because I've always been somewhat uncomfortable with that salutation, as most of the people to whom I write are often not dear to me. Is it considered rude just to say, "Mr. Whosit (comma)"?

Somewhat influenced by my location, very often begin the salutation with "Aloha." As in "Aloha Doug." If to a group of people, then "Aloha kakou" meaning aloha to all. In office email usually just the person's name. This is just a functional thing because with so many people on cc and fwd lists it's always good to know to whom the messages was directed.

By the way, I think Hawaii is the only state of the union with two official languages: English and Hawaiian which was reinstated as an official language in 1978.

Doug

snail in English
Dear______,

email in either language
__________,
_________-

snail in French
Cher______, (one male)
Chère______, (one female)
Chers______, (more than one male)
Chères______, (more than one female)

ex. of French using the first names I think of

Cher Manuel,
Chère Hélène,
Chers Kyle et Manuel,
Chères Alice et Hélène,
Cher Manuel, Chère Hélène,

I usually use "Dear ____" in snail mail personal letters. "Greetings" or "Happy <timely holiday>" can work at times, if you need something a little more distant.

I don't write business letters very often, but it varies a bit depending on exactly to whom it's written and about what. "Dear" can even work then, though if someone has a title you can just use that ("Senator Smith, ..."). Just a title or "Mr." or "Mrs." can seem a bit brusque though.

In email I am often much more casual, and things like "Hi" seem fine.

Too thou moste Erudite, Circumspekt, Canny, Fell, Courageous, and Debonaire and thrice moste precious Martyr too ye Goode Lyfe! Hail and Gladsome Buffets untoo thee and thine! Hard knocks untoo thine unfriends; maye their fundaments fall out!

Paddler

I've often thought about my lack of dear-ness sentiments when writing a business letter to someone I don't know about a problem they've created. It does seem insincere, but I guess I've always considered "Dear So-and-So" an obligatory salutation.

I had an aunt who used "Dear Ones" as a greeting when writing to my family when I was a child. I guess maybe she didn't want to list all the names - although I'm an only child so there were only three of us.

Judybug

Thanks for this information! Here in Acadian Louisiana I sometimes hear these salutations spoken, but I'm not familiar with the written form. What little bit of French I had in school, I have forgotten - more's the pity.

Judybug

Dear Djehuty:

There are books written about this stuff.

Very truly yours,

Romeo Dog

That's wonderful!!

I could teach you French by PM, yahoo, or snail mail if you wanted, written is where the differences show

I use "Dear FirstName" for general correspondence. I have always been in several minds about more formal correspondence; usually I use "Dear Salutation LastName", but sometimes use "Dir Sir" when I need to be confrontational or controversial.

On another point, I like sending and receiving "Dear FirstName" as a beginning to emails, as it distinguishes your email from everything else. If you've received one so begun, you know how it grabs your attention.

Nathan Hondros

I guess I'll just have to quell my natural misanthropy and pretend the people to whom I'm writing are in some way dear to me.

Fear not, the Title-LastName-Colon route tells them it is just a formality.

I try to keep it conversational... that is not to say informal... sometimes my conversation is quite formal.

Sir,
(when addressing the Economist magazine)

Dude!
(when dressing a close friend)

If I can't easily make a sincere opening with one of these two - I might just launch into the body of the matter. With (non-governmental) faceless entities - no opening. With (governmental) faceless entities - I use the formal form of their title... for example:

Senator Dole:
(one of my senators, secondly the wife of Bob Dole)

Brent

P.S. I spend some late night hours exercising my nibs communicating with my elected officials...

I just realised I hadn't actually contributed anything to this thread...

Email -

- Formal: "Dear *X*"
- Semi formal: "Hi *X*"
- Casual: "Hi *X*"/"Hey!..."
- Both: "Dear *X*"

Handwritten (which I haven't done in YEARS!) -

- "Dear *X*," (Never used anything else).

What a great question. I write letters all the time and there are generally three situations when I use dear:
1. When the person is in fact dear to me.
2. I will mirror the person who sends me letters with that salutation.
3. If it is a person of significantly advanced age than my own.

I typically start letters (and emails) with Howdy, Hello, Hey or Greetings.
But I do like to mix it up. So, Salutations, Hola, Bonjour, What's up, Konichiwa, Hey, Hey what do you say?

Fashions, of course, change, but change slowly. "Dear" in a salutation carries no overtone that the person is in fact dear; it is a pure convention.

There was a time--and it continued until the 1940s or so in the U.S. Department of State, that the most formal letter began "My Dear Mr. (or title)." That sounds even more intimate that a simple "Dear ..." but it was then more formal.

In the United States, the "Dear ..." would be followed by "Mr." or "Madame," or "Dr." or "Rev.", or the title of the position. (Dear Senator x; Dear Congresswoman Y ..." But with the President, Vice President, and cabinet members it would be: "Dear Mr. President; " Dear Mr. Vice President; Dear Madame Secretary (if you are addressing Dr. Rice), or "Dear Mr. (Madame) Ambassador." These would be followed by colons (, not commas. (If the letter is personal, the salutation is followed by a comma.)
In addressing the envelope, however, the address would read (except for the president and vice president) "The Honorable ..." (There is a story about the Kentucky Colonel who was asked by his Senator just what the title Colonel meant. He replied, "It's like the Honorable they put before your name; don't mean a damn thing!")

In Britain, I believe, they leave off the Mr. or Madame and just write "Dear Prime Minister ..." Orally they address the Prime Minister as simply "Prime Minister," whereas Americans would say, "Mr. President," or "Mr. Secretary," etc.

In formal typed correspondence, one would never write "Dear John" or "Dear Mary." The typed salutation would be "Dear Senator Evans ..." If, in fact, the Senator is a personal friend, you would cross out with your fountain pen the "Dear Senator Evans" and write in your own handwriting, "Dear John,"

Of course, in personal correspondence, one would use the first name if that is what you call the person when you meet. However, I--and many others of my generation--consider it tactless and presumptious if someone we do not know addresses us, either personally, on the telephone, or in a letter, by our first name.

For emails I use Dear ... if I don't know the person well, or something like Hi! In a reply, it is fine to leave off any salutation and just write, "Steve, Thanks for the invitation, but I just can't make lunch next Friday," or some such.

The main point is, customarily, "Dear ..." is a formal salutation. If you want something more intimate, it would be well to use a different word.

I was wondering the same thing i think I have if figured out now

Informal:

First Name,

Formal:

Dear Last Name,