Does anyone else hate the 'Regards' signature

[LizzieMaine]

Of course, there's always "Thanx and a tip of the Hatlo Hat..."

 

[Virginia Creeper]

"Regards" doesn't bother me in the slightest.

For the sake of fun, I went through my work email and looked at the signatures of the colleagues and contractors I deal with most frequently. I found "Take good care," "Thanks," "Cheers," "In solidarity," one person signing off with nothing more than his first initial, and one "Sincerely." My own corrospondence is signed with "All the best," which is not terribly formal.

 

[Smithy]

In letter writing I sign off with the formal: Yours faithfully or, if we are acquainted, Yours sincerely.

That's exactly what I was taught at school in NZ in the 80s. "Yours sincerely" for personal, informal correspondence and "Yours faithfully" for business and formal communications. And this was obviously for letters.

I should add that I couldn't really care less what somebody puts at the bottom of an email, letter. It's what's written above it that really counts. And I'm certainly not going to base a character assessment on what valediction somebody uses.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Of course, there's always "Thanx and a tip of the Hatlo Hat..."

I thought I was the only one who remembers Jimmy Hatlo

 

[Edward]

None of these bother me.

That's exactly what I was taught at school in NZ in the 80s. "Yours sincerely" for personal, informal correspondence and "Yours faithfully" for business and formal communications.

The pattern up here is "faithfully" where you are writing to an office, or a person whose name you do not know - "Dear Chairman," "Dear Sir or Madam", et cetera. "Sincerely" is used where one knows their name (Dear Bob, Dear Mr Zimmerman, Dear Lord Griffiths, and so on).

 

[DesertDan]

I use Regards to close any business corespondence. I consider it polite without being too personal.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I do find it to be rather cold, myself.

 

[vitanola]

Of course, there's always "Thanx and a tip of the Hatlo Hat..."

They'll do it every time!

"Trusting that you will give your prompt attention to this matter, I remain..."

 

[AtomicEraTom]

What's wrong with Cheers, it's where everybody knows your name?
[video=youtube;7KtAgAMzaeg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KtAgAMzaeg[/video]

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Or Sincerely, for that matter?
[video=youtube;NRFBDhly2YI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRFBDhly2YI[/video]

 

[hatguy1]

"Does anyone else hate the 'Regards' signature?"
I don't mind it, so I guess I'll rise to its defense. To me it's just another genteel closing. The one I never really understood was the 19th Century sal, "Your humble/obedient servant...." Really? I'm nobody's "servant" nor do I expect them to be mine. But, again; it's just a matter of tradition and semantics (hope I spelled that right).

...emails, letters that close with 'Regards' or sometimes variants such as 'Kind' or 'Best' Regards, or 'Warm'/'Warmest' Regards. In the latter case, it's as if the heat level somehow mitigates the meanness and carelessness of the 'Regards' signature.

Well any kind of "warm regards" closing would be - IMHO - completely inappropriate for a stern tone letter. But, that having been said, I don't find the "Regards" closing - be it "best," "warm," "warmest" or "incandescent - to be mean or careless. Again, to me it's kind of a pro forma custom much like sayin' "How ya doing?" to someone when you see them. We all know the last thing we want to hear is some accurate sob story about how miserably they may have been doing etc. Again, it's just something somewhat pleasant sounding to say.

....a good friend (and whom I had helped out a couple of times) signed a postcard 'Regards, David': I have never felt the same way about him since. The signature sounds old-fashioned, but in a negative sense, like Dickenses Uriah Heep or Mr Pooter in 'Diary of a Nobody'.

Yikes. ;-P

I don't mind "regards" closings nearly like I do the corny "very truly yours" etc overly mushy and too familiar ones.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Sorry, I personally prefer Regards/Best Regards. I certainly see nothing wrong with it. It's what I often use, as it's not too personal or sappy. Though I'll sometimes use Sincerely.

 

[Tomasso]

One of my neighbours uses it and a couple of years ago a person I considered a good friend (and whom I had helped out a couple of times) signed a postcard 'Regards, David': I have never felt the same way about him since.

I would regard your reaction as somewhere north of bizarre.

 

[CharleneC]

How can "regards" be an issue? Was this thread started as a joke?

 

[1961MJS]

I just don't really see why 'regards'..or 'best regards' is anything to hate. The one that seems so bland to me is someone signing off with 'later'.
Later
HD

Hey, "Later" is what I use. Of course I use it because it's somewhat unique, easy to type, and it seems less caring or confrontational than your obedient servant, love, or some other stuff. My favorite is from Animal House:

Respectfully Submitted,
Douglas C. Neidermeyer
Sargent at Arms

LATER

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I never thought about this much. I use to answer in the same manner as the other person did. And yes, sometimes it was "Regards" (I think on ebay sometimes)
I didn't even know it was handled different in the US and the UK

If I know the person on the other end of the message is a nice person it wouldn't change a thing if she/he would end messages with this.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Hey, "Later" is what I use. Of course I use it because it's somewhat unique, easy to type, and it seems less caring or confrontational than your obedient servant, love, or some other stuff. My favorite is from Animal House:

Respectfully Submitted,
Douglas C. Neidermeyer
Sargent at Arms

LATER

That's it...from now on you're on double secret probation.

 

[Richard Warren]

I use "regards" when I want to send someone my regards. If you think that's cold you probably shouldn't see what else I write. Maybe it's an Americanism that you don't like on that account.

 

[John Galt]

Most people think of "Sincerely" as cold also, but it actually means "without wax," and was once a closing for correspondence with close friends and family - which would have been unsealed in antiquity - rather than business acquaintances -which would have been sealed with a signet ring and wax (thus "signature"). Emily Post's Etiquette states that "Sincerely" and variations are appropriate for "a formal social note."

"Regards" is short for "My warmest regards," and variations, which are in my mind appropriate for polite correspondence. Elizabeth Post writes in the 1992 edition of Etiquette I own, that these "last remaining graces" are being pruned away. The phrase seems appropriate, because the shortened closing "Regards" seems much clumsier and less personal than the sentiment expressed in the original full closing.

Incidentally, my 1952 edition of Amy Vanderbuilt's Complete Book of Etiquette has examples of various types of letters for different circumstances, but does not directly address the closing as a separate topic.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[JonnyO]

I use sincerely and thank you, both for different situations. If I am just sending an email with a message I will sign it with sincerely. If I am sending a request for time off or asking someone for something, I will sign it with a thank you.