Sincerely, Fondest, All My Love, and Other Sign-Offs

At the Paris Review, Sadie Stein talks about sign-offs and how she settled on “As ever.” She writes:

“Immediately, it seemed to me that rare thing, an all-purpose valediction: versatile, graceful, elliptical. If I was writing to a loved one, the sign-off implied my affection was going strong. If I hated someone, well, it didn’t rule that out, either. It could be cool or warm, friendly or formal. Or it could be literal: I was still Sadie Stein, and there was very little arguing with that.”

I might not be as charmed as Sadie by “as ever” but I can certainly relate to the importance of a sign-off. For more professional/formal correspondence, I tend to go with either “Thanks” or “Best,” which feel very safe. They keep a distance but express good feelings. Even more formal writing gets a “Sincerely.” Recently I’ve settled on “Cheers,” which feels friendly but isn’t too cutesy.

How do you end letters or emails? Do you feel a particular kinship with any sign-offs?

(image: Smithsonian Institution)

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