Emails and Messages phrases and words in English
The phrases of modern emails, texts and Slack — every passive-aggressive nag, soft deadline, loop-in and single-letter reply. The words people use to look chill while applying pressure, deny they ignored you, and pretend a late reply was casual.
42 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“Per my last email”
A pointed way of saying 'I already told you this, and there's a written record'. Polite on the surface, sharp underneath — pulled out when someone asks what you've already answered and you want it noticed.
- What was the deadline again? — Per my last email, Friday
- She replied 'per my last email' and CC'd his manager. Brutal
- Per my last text, we're at mum's on Sunday. I did warn you
“Hope this finds you well”
A polite, near-meaningless greeting that opens a message before the real point. A breath before a request or bad news — nobody literally means it, and everyone knows.
- Hi James, hope this finds you well. I'm writing to follow up on the invoice
- He texted 'hope this finds you well' before asking to borrow £200
- Got an email from my old boss opening with 'hope this finds you well'. Already nervous
“Sorry for the late reply”
The standard opener for any message you've left sitting, whether for days or months. A small social reset that lets you carry on as if no time passed — rarely paired with a real reason.
- Sorry for the late reply — things got hectic. To your question about the date
- Three weeks later: 'sorry for the late reply'. The spark had clearly faded
- She opens every message with 'sorry for the late reply', even the same-day ones
“Friendly reminder”
A follow-up nudge dressed in warmth, sent because the first message was ignored. The friendlier it sounds, the more impatience it usually hides.
- Friendly reminder! The invoice was due Monday — could you take a look? 😊
- Friendly reminder it's your turn to do the dishes. Third one this week
- Friendly reminder we have a meeting in five minutes — link below
“Heads up”
A casual warning that puts something on the record without making a formal issue of it. Sounds relaxed, but once it's said, the other person can't claim they didn't know.
- Heads up — the client called twice this morning about the deck
- Heads up, I invited Tom to the party so it might be a bit awkward
- Heads up, Grandma's staying the weekend, so behave
“Buried in my inbox”
The blameless, deniable excuse for not replying. Nobody quite believes a message sat unseen for nine days, and nobody quite challenges it either.
- So sorry, your message got buried in my inbox. Here's the draft
- He said my text got buried — he'd posted twice that day
- Anything sent before Tuesday is officially buried in my inbox
“K”
The deadliest single-letter reply in English. 'ok' is fine; 'K' on its own reads as cold, annoyed, or done with the conversation. A closed door in one character.
- I told her I couldn't make her birthday dinner. She replied 'K'. I haven't slept since
- His mum texted asking when he's home. He sent 'K'. She called immediately
- Closed the deal and sent the team 'K'. Now they all think I'm furious
“Ping me”
To send someone a quick message or notification. Now general slang for 'get in touch' well beyond chat apps — short, casual, and assumes you'll respond fast.
- Ping me when you land and I'll come get you
- Ping me if the build breaks overnight
- Just ping me, don't overthink the wording
“Out of office”
The approved wall between you and everyone who wants something. Now used generally for 'I'm unavailable and you can't be annoyed about it' — holiday or not.
- Out of office until the 25th — ping Emma for anything urgent
- I'm mentally out of office this whole week, don't even @ me
- I emailed my landlord about the boiler. Got an out of office. Classic
“One more thing”
The afterthought tacked on right after you thought you were done — the extra ask or point you forgot. Famous for never actually being the last thing.
- Thanks for the slides — oh, one more thing, can you add the Q3 numbers?
- He said 'just one more thing' in the meeting. We were there another forty minutes
- 'One more thing' — and then she relisted the entire shopping order
“When you have a moment”
A request disguised as low-priority that's usually anything but. Makes the asker sound relaxed while the deadline quietly stays urgent.
- When you have a moment, could you send the deck? (We present at 9am)
- When you have a moment, can you call your sister back? She's been trying all week
- 'When you have a moment' at 7pm on a Friday. Brutal
“No pressure”
The reassurance that almost always signals real pressure. Tagged onto a request you can't easily refuse — the bigger the ask, the more soothing the 'no pressure'.
- Could you intro me to your old boss? No pressure
- 'No pressure' — then he sent me 40 pages of contract to read by today
- Come to the wedding if you can, no pressure (you have to come)
“Got it”
A friendly two-word reply that quietly ends the conversation. Cheerful on the surface, final underneath — the other person keeps typing and slowly realizes the door just closed.
- Could you also add the budget summary? — Got it! 👍
- I sent her four paragraphs explaining everything. She replied 'got it'. End of conversation
- Dad assigned me five chores in one text. I said 'got it' and quietly panicked
“Circle back”
To return to something later — which often means never. Implies momentum while admitting nothing's moved. Used to shelve a topic without officially dropping it.
- Let's circle back next week (translation: I'll never reopen this)
- Circling back on the proposal — any update from your side?
- We said we'd circle back on the holiday plan. That was March
“EOD”
Short for 'end of day' — a deadline that means 'before the day ends'. In practice it stretches to mean 'before the next conversation', and everyone games it differently.
- Draft by EOD? — Sure, EOD at the latest (sends at midnight)
- Can you get me the essay by EOD Thursday? I'll take a look before Friday
- EOD, give me an answer on the holiday dates or I'm booking without you
“Bumping this up”
A nudge for a message someone's clearly ignoring, pushing it back to the top of their feed. Polite words, but always read it as 'reply, or I escalate'.
- Just bumping this up — still need your sign-off before EOD
- Fourth time bumping this up. At what point is it harassment?
- Bumping this up in the group — who's actually coming Saturday?
“Touching base”
Saying hello and probably wanting something. Used when you have no specific reason to contact someone but want to stay on their radar or keep a relationship warm.
- Just touching base on the budget — any thoughts since we last spoke?
- She 'touched base' three times in two weeks. He still hadn't replied
- Touching base before the holidays — let's catch up in January
“Quick question”
The opener for something rarely quick and seldom a single question. The shorter the 'quick question', the longer the meeting or favour it sets off.
- Quick question — what's the budget for next quarter?
- He started with 'quick question' and we were in that meeting for two hours
- Quick question, can you proofread my entire dissertation by Monday?
“Let me know your thoughts”
A neutral-sounding closer that really means 'please reply, and ideally say yes'. Asks for approval without looking like it's asking.
- Attached the new draft — let me know your thoughts
- Sent her the wedding playlist Monday. Still waiting on her thoughts
- Let me know your thoughts when you get a chance (i.e. today)
“As discussed”
The phrase that says 'we agreed to this, and now it's in writing'. Pins a vague verbal promise down in cold daylight; once it appears, denial gets a lot harder.
- As discussed, please find the updated timeline attached
- She wrote 'as discussed' for things we'd never actually discussed. Bold
- As discussed, you're covering rent this month and I'll get next
“Noted”
A one-word reply meaning 'I've read this and have nothing to add'. A 'noted, thanks' is warm; a standalone 'noted' is a wall — the polite cousin of 'K'.
- We're pushing the deadline to Wednesday — Noted
- His boss wrote a full paragraph. He replied 'noted' and closed his laptop
- Told her I'd be home late. 'Noted.' I'm clearly in trouble
“Thanks in advance”
A closer that thanks you for something you haven't agreed to do yet. By the time you read it, the favour is treated as granted — refusing now would feel awkward, which is the point.
- Could you send the figures by Friday? Thanks in advance
- She ended with 'thanks in advance' on a favour that'd take me three hours
- Thanks in advance for keeping this between us
“Left on read”
When someone sees your message and doesn't reply. Modern friendship and dating anxiety in three words — the read receipt proves they saw it and chose silence.
- Texted him last night, left on read. Guess I have my answer
- I asked the group who's coming and got left on read by everyone
- Asked my boss for a day off and got left on read. Reassuring
“Double text”
Sending a second message before the first gets a reply. Mildly taboo in dating, normal among close friends — a small act of either confidence or desperation.
- Should I double text or play it cool? — Double text, life's short
- She double texted me a meme and 'anyway, how are you'
- I double texted the landlord because the boiler's still broken
“Following up”
The neutral, professional way to say 'you didn't reply, so here I am again'. Endlessly polite, quietly insistent — the engine of every inbox.
- Following up on my message from last week — any news?
- Just following up after the interview to reiterate my interest
- Following up on the dinner plan — are we still on?
“FYI”
Short for 'for your information' — a flag that shares something without inviting discussion. Neutral on a good day, passive-aggressive on a bad one, depending entirely on tone.
- FYI, the meeting moved to 3pm
- FYI I'm not paying for the broken window — that was your dog
- We're out of milk again. Just FYI
“Take this offline”
To move a conversation to a different setting — away from the current group or audience. Can mean a private chat, a side call, or simply 'not here, not now'.
- Good point — let's take this offline and not derail the meeting
- He said 'take this offline' the second the question got awkward
- We took the argument offline before the whole group chat saw it
“Keep me posted”
A casual way to ask someone to update you as things develop. Friendly and open-ended — it hands the next move to them while making clear you still want to know how it turns out.
- Still waiting to hear back from the hospital — keep me posted
- Offer's looking good. Keep me posted once they sign
- Keep me posted on the road trip plans, I'm in if the dates work
“Ball's in your court”
You've done your part — now it's their turn to act or decide. Borrowed from tennis. Polite, but it quietly shifts all the pressure onto the other person.
- I've sent over the contract, so the ball's in your court now
- I apologised and asked to talk. Ball's in her court
- We made our offer on the flat — ball's in the seller's court
“ICYMI”
Short for 'in case you missed it', used to resurface something without admitting you're nagging. Sounds helpful, but often means 'you definitely saw this and ignored it'.
- ICYMI, the deadline moved to Thursday
- ICYMI I texted you twice about dinner Saturday
- ICYMI, your half of the rent was due yesterday
“Pick your brain”
To ask someone to share what they know or advise you on something, usually framed as a quick favour. Often a soft opener for a much bigger demand on their time.
- Can I pick your brain about switching careers sometime?
- She wanted to pick my brain — three hours later I'd basically done her taxes
- Mind if I pick your brain about the best area to rent in?
“Reaching out”
To contact someone, especially someone you don't know well or haven't spoken to in a while. Polite and neutral, but so overused it now often signals an agenda before you've even read the message.
- Reaching out to see if you'd be open to a quick chat about the role
- She reached out three years later, completely out of the blue
- He reached out to the neighbour about the noise. Still no reply
“Keep me in the loop”
A request to stay informed as something moves forward, so you're not blindsided later. Friendly on the surface, but often a quiet claim to a say in the outcome.
- Happy for you to run with it — just keep me in the loop
- Keep me in the loop on the group present for mum
- They decided without me again. Nobody keeps me in the loop
“Gentle nudge”
A softened reminder for something already overdue, framed as gentle to take the edge off the pressure. The gentler it sounds, the more impatience it usually covers.
- Just a gentle nudge on the invoice from last month
- Gentle nudge — you still owe me for the concert tickets
- A gentle nudge that it's bin night and it's your turn
“Slide into your DMs”
To message someone privately and out of the blue, often with romantic intent. Started on social media but now describes any bold, casual direct message to someone you barely know.
- He finally slid into her DMs after months of liking her posts
- A brand slid into my DMs asking me to promote their tea
- Just slide into his DMs and ask — what's the worst that happens?
“TL;DR”
Short for 'too long; didn't read' — the summary you put before a long explanation, or a polite way to say something was too wordy. Use it to cut to the point when the full version won't get read.
- TL;DR: we're moving the deadline and need everyone online Monday morning
- His explanation was five paragraphs. TL;DR: he was late because of traffic
- Asked my professor to summarize his feedback. He said 'TL;DR, rewrite the intro'
“Ghosting”
Ending contact by simply disappearing — no reply, no explanation, just silence. Started in dating but now describes anyone who stops responding to messages without warning.
- He seemed really into her, then started ghosting. No texts, nothing for two weeks
- The recruiter ghosted me after the final interview. Still no word
- I owe my dentist a reply about my appointment. I've been fully ghosting him
“Drop a line”
To get in touch briefly and informally, usually with no big agenda. A relaxed way to invite someone to reach out — it implies a short message, not a full conversation.
- Drop me a line when you're in town — we'll grab coffee
- He dropped her a line just to check in. Nothing formal, just a hello
- Drop the landlord a line about the leaking tap before it gets worse
“Loop in”
To add someone to an ongoing conversation or thread so they're kept informed. Common in email and group chats when a topic shifts or a new person becomes relevant.
- I'll loop in the legal team before we commit to anything
- She looped me in on the client thread — I had no idea they'd already met
- Can I loop in my flatmate? She's also looking for a room
“Hit me up”
A casual invitation to get in touch. Relaxed and open-ended — doesn't specify how, when, or why. The opposite of a formal request.
- Hit me up if you're ever in town — we'll grab a drink
- Hit me up for the address once you've confirmed the date
- He said 'hit me up if you hear of anything' and actually landed a job from it
“BRB”
Short for 'be right back'. A quick signal that you're stepping away from a conversation briefly. The promise is rarely kept — it usually means several minutes at minimum.
- BRB — someone's at the door
- He said BRB two hours ago. He is not coming back
- BRB grabbing coffee, don't start without me
“Reply all”
To respond to a group message in a way that goes to every recipient, not just the sender. Doing it by accident — especially with something personal — is a classic communication disaster.
- He meant to vent to one colleague. He hit reply all. It went to sixty people
- Don't reply all — just answer me, not the whole department
- She accidentally reply-all'd her resignation before she'd made up her mind
