This expression was in a letter quoted in our newspaper the other day, and got me to thinking: how often do we even see, let alone use, the words cordial and cordially these days? I pretty much never do. (Cordial as noun or adj.)
I haven't in years.
Yet it is a lovely concept to end a letter with.
When I think of a cordial, I think of an after dinner
drink or a chocolate-covered cherry piece of candy.
At first sight it makes me think of ropes.
At first sight it makes me think of ropes.
A type of knot...perhaps?
Cordial is still commonly known down here as a flavoured drink.
Cordial is still commonly known down here as a flavoured drink.
Same here: menus will offer "After Dinner Cordials".
A type of knot...perhaps?Xactly. When I read "cordially yours" I see ropes and knots.
I knew of a barbershop quartet years ago called the Chordials. One of the members owned a bar and motel called Harry's Chordial Inn.
Peter
They played harpsichord all four?
I don't know, but they played a few bars.
I wouldn't use cordially in signing off a letter or email.
Mostly I just put my name. Usually I have already written all I have wanted to say and ending with yours sincerely, faithfully or anything else seems a false statement to me, especially if a formal correspondence.
And now days most electronic devices recognise a 'sender' so even your name might not be necessary at the end of a message.
I wouldn't use cordially in signing off a letter or email.
Mostly I just put my name. Usually I have already written all I have wanted to say and ending with yours sincerely, faithfully or anything else seems a false statement to me, especially if a formal correspondence.
And now days most electronic devices recognise a 'sender' so even your name might not be necessary at the end of a message.
I still have the text book from high school giving all the
rules for letter writing, among other things. This
is called the "Complimentary Closing": Yours truly,
Affectionately yours, Sincerely yours, etc.
I have not used them for decades either.
I use Respects for work emails, unless I don't respect the person, then I use my name only.
Many people use Regards.
some others: Thanks, Cheers & Sincerely.
Are there others that might work well?
Religious types use "Peace" and "In Christ", or "In Him"
or "In His Name". I get those in junk mail.
Received one the other day that ended in "Yo,Dude".
Go figure!
a regular mailer uses LATER, all caps. :-P
And of course, solicitors and fundraisers, use:
Eagerly Awaiting your Response, and then sign.
I'm all for honesty so it irks me that some of these closings aren't used more often:
Nonchalantly, (on a get well card from people at work)
Irrationally, (when HR sends out a new company policy)
Malevolently, (when the phone company announces rate hikes)
Perversely, (when I write to...er I mean, somebody sent
me a letter like that once...
)
I like to keep it simple.
Kind or friendly regards for those I don't really know.
Love for people I like or love.
Just my name for those I must write in anger.
And honestly never ever 'sincerely'.
In high school I had a friend, pen pal, in Lyon, France
who ended his letters with "Amicalement".
Amicably! Now there's another word that seems to be on its way out. Though I still read it in novels. But I'll bet no more of us use amicable/amicably than do cordial/cordially.
I'll bet no more of us use amicable/amicably than do cordial/cordially.
Those words are all part of my working vocabulary, which is to say that I use them in conversation or writing quite unselfconsciously, as circumstances warrant, though not in closing a letter or other message.
Peter
I use them in conversation or writing quite unselfconsciously Huh. Good for you! I see amiable fairly often; amicable rarely.
This is not intended as a criticism of you nor your choices, but my knee-jerk response to such a closing is: best what?; but I suppose that in the modern world it is more appropriate than, say: "I remain, most sincerely, your very humble servant, Dumbledore." My response to that would be, "Yeah, right."
Okay, okay, I know what you mean, and it's fine. I just can't help being…me.
Upon reflection, I have to say that your closing, to my ear, has a greater ring of sincerity than the very similar "Best." That smacks of perfunctory obligation. Interesting, the little tricks our brains perform.
Peter
And you sign your name in every post, never with the
salutory closing. Hmmmmm.
I thought in this case the writer is giving his best, so he's left with the lesser part of himself. Therefore I think he's very generous.
I thought in this case the writer is giving his best, so he's left with the lesser part of himself. Therefore I think he's very generous.
perzackly.
Opportunist!
Coming to this much later on...(sorry!) I would say that I always use:
Many thanks,
but I often have great fun trying to work out which faithfully, sincerely etc would go at the bottom of a formal letter, which I love to address as
To Whomsoever it may concern (rather than dear sir/madam)
and get repeatedly told off by proof-reading friends.
Many thanks,
from an over enthusiastic poster
but I often have great fun trying to work out which faithfully, sincerely etc would go at the bottom of a formal letter, which I love to address as
I often had the problem in the past, and solved it
by just saying "Yours".
I can remember reading an epistolary style novel set in the 1800s and each letter had yours /faithfully/sincerly and after that just had etc etc etc - made me laugh!
When I hear the word cordial, I think of somebody who is trying to remain polite to somebody he doesn't particularly like. I think it is because I've often read sentences like, "o.k., let's try to remain cordial."
The way I sign off depends upon who I am writing to.
For friends, French or English, I typically write Salut ("bye" in French).
Business correspondence varies. I use "regards" most often. If it is a harse e-mail or letter, I don't use a sign off. Why say regards, when I don't mean them. In French correspondence, the whole, "please accept our sincerest..." type of closing is still in use here and the variety is large depending on who you are writing.
When I hear the word cordial, I think of somebody who is trying to remain polite to somebody he doesn't particularly like.
I think "cordial relations" is diplomat speak for "we didn't bite each other's heads off."
but I often have great fun trying to work out which faithfully, sincerely etc would go at the bottom of a formal letter, which I love to address as
I often had the problem in the past, and solved it
by just saying "Yours".
That would be fine as long as you didnt forget yourself and add 'up' before the "yours"..............
Don't think I have not thought that at a very great
number of times. Good comeback, slow...
Just found this thread.
Interesting.
Every time I see a patient I send a report to the patient's primary physician. And every letter, addressed as it is to a colleague, is signed "Cordially," etc.
But then, I'm a dinosaur.
either that or you need to get a new secretary/typist!
But then, I'm a dinosaur
As a teacher I used to tell students that I know it was
an asteroid that killed off all the dinosaurs, because
I was hiding in the back of the cave when it occurred.
(Only confirmed what they already knew.)