Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Letter

English answer:

"kiss-off" letter short and to the point

Added to glossary by Elizabeth Lyons
Aug 21, 2005 23:10
18 yrs ago
English term

Letter

English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
If a man gives another man a letter in which tha man said he will discontinue his friendship with the other man, is there a special English name for this kind of letter? Abolutely not "Dear John¡¯s letter", I think :-)

Discussion

Elizabeth Lyons Aug 24, 2005:
Good luck Jianming and thanks (and to all) : )

Responses

+6
9 mins
Selected

As far as I know, for the USA, no but ...

The closest it would come to this is a "kiss-off" letter, short and to the point in most cases. This is a great question because a "Dear John" is usually a woman to a man; I am not sure what the reverse would be or from a man to a man/woman to a woman. Perhaps others have another idea, but that's my take on this, for what it is worth. : )

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Note added at 27 mins (2005-08-21 23:37:35 GMT)
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To be clear, there is no equivalent special term for this male to male other than the one I suggested. However, I am told that there is a "Dear Jane" equivalent for women to men, originating during WWII, apparently. This is something I didn't know. But nothing for man to man, afaik : )

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Note added at 28 mins (2005-08-21 23:38:22 GMT)
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Ooops, correction above, from men to women ;0 "Dear Jane" ...
Peer comment(s):

agree Jack Doughty
1 hr
Jack, thanks : )
agree María Teresa Taylor Oliver : Dear John/Jane for romantic involvement... could they be used for friendship too? It seems odd, doesn't it?
4 hrs
Ma. Teresa, thanks, yes it is odd and one would think there would be a name for a breakup of friendship letter in English, by now too : )
agree Alfa Trans (X)
5 hrs
Hi Marju! Thank you.
agree Lori Dendy-Molz : with "kiss off" here
7 hrs
Good! I am glad someone else thinks it might be apt here : ) Thank you,
agree Saiwai Translation Services
9 hrs
Saiwai, thanks so much : )
agree jennifer newsome (X)
13 hrs
Hi Jennifer. Thank you : )
Something went wrong...
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks!"
+1
13 mins

letter

There is no other word.

Perhaps the letter will begin "Dear John" or simply "John" depending what is really written in it.

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Note added at 15 mins (2005-08-21 23:25:50 GMT)
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You could say a goodbye letter or a farewell letter but we don't really use those terms frequently.
Peer comment(s):

agree PB Trans : goodbye letter
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
55 mins

Dismissal

Not in the employment sense, in the social sense.
Now contracted to "I've been "dissed".
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

goodbye letter

No special name really... but I'd call it a goodbye letter in this context.
Something went wrong...
14 hrs

breaking-up letter

I don't know what situation we are dealing with here, but this is the sort of letter you would write when you decide to break up with a friend.
Something went wrong...
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