How do you sign off?

[Ray]

At school, I was taught to use 'yours faithfully' where I was writing a formal letter to an unnamed person, and 'yours sincerely' whenever I was addressing a named person, formally or informally. 'Yours truly' was considered archaic.

 

Whilst YS and YF feel right to me for formal correspondence, I don't feel able to sign off a letter to my father or a friend with 'yours sincerely', which just feels too arch and stuffy. I have developed a small collection of less formal sign offs, but wondered what other people use.

 

How do you do it?

 

Ray

[Shangas]

Something informal...

 

Just my name/Yours, *name*/Yours in friendship (I made this one up, but I think it's a nice touch at the end of a letter).

 

Something formal...

 

"Yours sincerely *name*"

 

I don't think I've ever used anything else...

[Jinnayah]

For business correspondence, I've picked up "regards" or "best regards". For reasons I don't know, it's the standard at my company.

For personal correspondence, I've used "Yours truly" for as long as I can remember. Except my mom likes it when I use "Love," instead, so I try to remember to do that for her.

[acfrery]

Hi,

 

As a non-native speaker, I have adopted some formulas I saw and I liked:

 

All the best,

Take care,

Hugs, teddybears and butterflies, (oh oh, this one is quite personal

 

All the best,

 

Alejandro

[RayMan]

For a family member, "Love". For a friend, "Best Wishes" or I might let the last line of the letter say it all, such as "All the best to you and your family" or "Talk to you soon" or "My love to you and your family."

[tfwall]

For formal correspondence either "Sincerely" or "Regards".

 

For informal "Sail Safe".

 

At work either "Respectfully" or "Very Respectfully".

[jbn10161]

For business, I used to use "Very truly yours," but it began to seem too old fashioned and I saw it appearing less and less (although it is clearly still in current usage). I now use "Sincerely." For ultra-formal correspondence, i.e., to a court, it might be "Respectfully." For social correspondence, I do precisely as RayMan described two or so posts above.

[limesally]

For a family member, "Love". For a friend, "Best Wishes" or I might let the last line of the letter say it all, such as "All the best to you and your family" or "Talk to you soon" or "My love to you and your family."

 

I do the same thing, except "talk to you soon" since I usually am not going to be doing that

 

Sometimes, to friends and family, "love to all", "peace to your house"; semi-formally, "warm regards".

 

This thread brings up nice memories of earlier correspondence!

[njh1974]

"Sincerely" for formal or business correspondence, "Regards" for informal or personal correspondence.

 

I quite like "respectfully", and may give that a turn.

 

Nathan Hondros

[Opus104]

Family: "Love,"

 

Freinds/Personal Acquaintances: "Cheers'"

 

Biz/Professional: "Sincerely," somtimes "Regards,"

 

Mortgage Company: "A Pestilance Upon Your House,"

[Ringtop]

Whilst YS and YF feel right to me for formal correspondence, I don't feel able to sign off a letter to my father or a friend with 'yours sincerely', which just feels too arch and stuffy. I have developed a small collection of less formal sign offs, but wondered what other people use.

 

In writing to an ebay seller, I use "Best" or "Cheers". With close friends and family I use "Love", of course.

 

On another note, whilst I am an American, and for me to use the word "whilst" just sounds pompous (It sounds just fine when y'all use it) I wish I could get away with it. Then again, since I am in Texas, I get to say y'all with impunity.

 

Sincerely,

 

Vida

[hardyb]

Business: Sincerely

 

Friends: Love or All My Best

 

Family: Love

 

Ex-Wife: Strongly Worded Death Threat to Follow (but with a smiley face).

[Jasper]

Informal ones i use...

 

Take good care,

 

Thinking of you,

 

Namaste',

(i found this word while reading about Buddhism. It basically means "the sacred within me recognizes and honors the sacred within you". Probably my favorite sign off)

 

~Jasper

 

[ArtsyWright]

To friends and family I usually say stuff like, "talk to you later/soon," but I've said "sincerely" in more formal situations. Most of the time though I just stick my name at the end.

[Paddler]

For formal letters, I use Yt.

 

For personal letters, I use: By the crank-arbalest thighs and sintered copper pate of King Lent and the carballoy cudgel of Ninib the Smiter, I remayne thine in haze and foam.

 

Paddler

 

[I am not a number]

I just leave instructions on where to leave the money and a standard warning against involving the Police.

[Ghost Plane]

:ltcapd: :roflmho:

[wednesday_mac]

For casual friends, I generally use "peace" or "all the best."

 

If it's family, it's "love".

 

If it's business, I'll use "best."

 

[Judybug]

Several years ago I read a book wherein one of the characters always signed her letters with "Wish you well." I kind of like this for informal personal correspondence - although I think "Wishing you well" sounds better.

 

Judybug

 

 

[Pendragon]

I Sincerely, Most sincerely yours or Warmest regards, with Sincerely being the default if I am unsure what to use. Love if writing to my mother and sister

 

In case anyone is interested, The New American Handbook of Letter Writing lists the following complimentary closes, arranged under each heading from most to least formal:

 

Formal

Respectfully,

Respectfully yours,

Yours truly,

Yours very truly,

Very sincerely yours,

Very cordially yours,

Sincerely yours,

 

Informal

Sincerely yours,

Cordially yours,

Sincerely,

Regards,

Best regards,

Warmest regards,

Best wishes,

 

In addition, "Sincerely yours" is the informal equivalent of "Respectfully", "Cordially yours" the informal equivalent of "Respectfully yours", etc. Informal closes are used in social correspondence to friends and acquaintances who are peers, co-workers, clients and the like. Formal closes are used for legal, official and other formal correspondence, and for correspondence to persons of higher social rank, to people you do not know and to anyone who expects reserve and formality.