[net.nlang] letter endings

andrew@garfield.UUCP (Andrew Draskoy) (07/02/83)

    What is the part of a letter (as in mail) called which occurs just before
you sign your name, i.e. "Yours Sincerely,"?  I always get stuck to think
of appropriate things to say here, how about some suggestions on "classic"
ones, or maybe all-purpose ones.  On the net we all seem to say "Thanks
In Advance", but that won't always work, especially with snail-mail.
Perhaps we should adopt the abreviation "TIA" for that!

					TIA,
					Andrew Draskoy
					{allegra,inhp4,utcsrgv}!garfield!andrew

nather@utastro.UUCP (07/06/83)

I have noticed several usable "closings" on net messages, but I think
each medium (pl: media) needs its own set.  I doubt a single one will
do for all purposes.  I rather like "cheers", used most often after a
violent entry in net.flame to soften the impact.  Also the notation
"...not afraid to (summarizing phrase), ..." seems unique to the net.
For snail mail, a friend of mine uses

               r   bt   vnt
              Y   O    S

a marvelouly archaic abbreviation for "your obedient servant," a phrase
so obviously exaggerated it acts as parody for the whole silly process.
(It loses in translation to CRT screen -- he uses elegant caligraphy to
form the letters, as from a quill pen.)

                                        Ed Nather
                                    ...hao!kpno!utastro