Discussion:
ult., inst., prox.
(too old to reply)
d***@gmail.com
2015-11-16 13:49:36 UTC
Permalink
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say, "There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Whiskers
2015-11-16 19:56:26 UTC
Permalink
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.

Try looking at the date of things you're replying to; then only reply if
the date is less than a month old. You won't annoy the rest of us so
much then.
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny Telia
2015-11-21 08:18:52 UTC
Permalink
Post by Whiskers
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
Whiskers
2015-11-21 15:09:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jenny Telia
Post by Whiskers
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
I wonder how long it will take for all the threads in Google's usenet
archive to end in necro-posted exchanges? And how long after that for
necro-necro-posting ...?
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
alien8er
2015-11-21 18:15:09 UTC
Permalink
Post by Whiskers
Post by Jenny Telia
Post by Whiskers
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
I wonder how long it will take for all the threads in Google's usenet
archive to end in necro-posted exchanges? And how long after that for
necro-necro-posting ...?
Wait ten or fifteen years, then post to this thread again. Fulfill your own prediction.


Dr. HotSalt
John Bull
2022-11-24 19:30:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by alien8er
Post by Whiskers
Post by Jenny Telia
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
I wonder how long it will take for all the threads in Google's usenet
archive to end in necro-posted exchanges? And how long after that for
necro-necro-posting ...?
Wait ten or fifteen years, then post to this thread again. Fulfill your own prediction.
Dr. HotSalt
Not if I beat him to it?
Paul Purves
2024-02-21 08:22:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Bull
Post by alien8er
Post by Whiskers
Post by Jenny Telia
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
I wonder how long it will take for all the threads in Google's usenet
archive to end in necro-posted exchanges? And how long after that for
necro-necro-posting ...?
Wait ten or fifteen years, then post to this thread again. Fulfill your own prediction.
Dr. HotSalt
Not if I beat him to it?
This may be the last necro-post, as from 22nd inst, Google will no longer allow posts to these archives.
Steve Hayes
2024-02-26 15:05:36 UTC
Permalink
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:22:50 -0800 (PST), Paul Purves
Post by Paul Purves
Post by John Bull
Post by alien8er
Post by Whiskers
Post by Jenny Telia
Post by d***@gmail.com
Kevin, To your comment about missing "I beg to remain your obedient
servant" from government officials, my grandfather always used to say,
"There is no such thing as a civil servant or a level crossing" (If
you don't know what a "level crossing" is, just reply to this post).
Kevin posted 16 years ago. So don't hold your breath.
Oh, go on. Let him.
I wonder how long it will take for all the threads in Google's usenet
archive to end in necro-posted exchanges? And how long after that for
necro-necro-posting ...?
Wait ten or fifteen years, then post to this thread again. Fulfill your own prediction.
Dr. HotSalt
Not if I beat him to it?
This may be the last necro-post, as from 22nd inst, Google will no longer allow posts to these archives.
But Google has opted out, so it has no say on who posts in reply to
what.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Hen Hanna
2016-03-04 19:20:16 UTC
Permalink
These used to be common abbreviations in UK commercial correspondence.
For example, "We have your favour of the 2nd inst". This means "We
have received your letter dated the 2nd of this month". Ult means of
last month and prox of next month.
Does anyone know any other examples of old commercial usage which may
be of interest?
--
Ed.
I wonder if c.i.f. and F.O.B. are still common.

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/gowerse/abc/cmmrcls.htm

Commercialese
From 'Vocabulary' part of The ABC Of Plain Words by Sir E Gowers (1951)

...........

Some readers of the Report may be unacquainted with "commercial English". We therefore give a few examples of the words and idiom in the dialect:-- prox (next month); ult (last month); of even date (of today);

beg to or hereby beg to (a meaningless prefix, found before verbs of all kinds, e.g. "I beg to inform you" "hereby beg to say" etc.);

Your favour, Your esteemed favour, yours (your letter); I am in receipt of your favour, Your favour duly to hand, or, more familiarly, Yours to hand (Your letter has reached me); per (by); as per (in accordance with);

same (it, e.g. "Yours to hand and we beg to say we shall give a11 attention to same");

make or quote you (make you an offer, e.g. "We can make you a discount of 6 per cent", "My traveller had the pleasure of quoting you for the order");

The favour of your immediate reply will oblige (I shall be glad to hear from you at once).


To these might be added Please find, Thanking you in anticipation, the use of item to mean anything the writer pleases and that curious piece of tortuous politeness Your good self.


-------- Yes, we miss you, Frank Doel! HH
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