starting formulates in english letters?

V

venuzalb

New Member
french
Hi,
What is the meaning of the starting formulate "Good + first name" in a letter?
Is there any difference between using "Good Sally" (for instance) and "Dear Sally"?
Thanks in advance.
 
    • I'm not aware of anyone using this in American English. I have seen it in period literature, so it may be an obsolete phrase for us. It certainly strikes me as extremely odd-sounding.
     
    "Dear + name" is the standard opening for a letter except among friends, when any number of alternatives exist. Occasionally you may see a "To whom it may concern:" in a formal circumstance when the addressee's name is unknown, and there may be times when this phrase has some legal significance, I just don't know. But even in very formal situations with an unknown addressee, people use "Dear Sir or Madam:", in my experience.

    I've never seen "Good + name". It might be used among friends, but even then, it would be consciously odd, a bit of a joke.
     
    languageGuy said:
    'Good' is a title meaning 'Mrs.' is certain religious cirlces. Perhaps this is what you are seeing.
    Click to expand...

    The only reference I know related to this is the title "Goodwife", a 17th or 18th Century title, sometimes shortened to "Goody" (as in The Crucible by Arthur Miller), used by the Puritans in New England in colonial days. Has this survived anywhere into the 21st Century? That would be amazing.
     
    Ok, thanks for all these explanations!
    Could however the formulate "good + first name" have a sense outside letters context, in a close relationship for instance?
     
    Something like "good friend" would be fairly common in certain groups, but "good Ralph" (or "good Sally") would not. We use "good" and a name when we are praising our dogs - "good Max!" or "good Rusty!" To use it on a human could sound very condescending.
     
    Ok, so it looks like I have definitely to forget this expression, unless I don't want to be diplomatic at all.
    Thanks again!
     
    JamesM said:
    Something like "good friend" would be fairly common in certain groups, but "good Ralph" (or "good Sally") would not. We use "good" and a name when we are praising our dogs - "good Max!" or "good Rusty!" To use it on a human could sound very condescending.
    Click to expand...

    The only counter-example in recent memory is the movie, "Good Will Hunting". However, the title there was, I believe, deliberately chosen to attract the public's attention through its odd phrasing. It is not anything you'd use in normal oral or written communication.
     
    A rather outdated but still less odd sounding "greeting" than "Good + name" would be the "My Good + name" (although My dear + name still sounds better)
     
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