# Cryptic email message - your opinion on its meaning **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796 "2008-09-16T03:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/1 "2008-09-16T03:55:04Z")
I recieved a terse email from my BIL tonight. I’m not sure exactly what it means. I’ve emailed him back asking for clarification but I think he’s gone to bed. I’m not going to lose any sleep over this but I’m curious to see what y’alls opinions are. Background: I send an email tonight to my BIL and a few others which is a piece of an article about the hurricane. It’s about 3 paragraphs I reckon. There is one photo in the email but it’s not large. The article is just blah blah blah about the damage. There is no commentary from me in the text, just the article and a cite for the source. This is what he sent in reply: > [@](#): > > Second time. No third strike. Final email. Now, I can construe the meaning in a couple ways, but none of them make sense to me. “second time” - I only sent the one. I sent him one about two months ago about an antique sale but that’s it. I only recieved this one from him today. Second time a hurricane hit Texas maybe? “No third strike”. Something to do with ‘three strikes you’re out’? That’s all I got. “Final email”. His final email? My final email? Don’t send any more emails??? 😕 What’s your take on it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/2 "2008-09-16T04:00:42Z")
Sounds to me like you pissed him off somehow, and now he’s done with you. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/3 "2008-09-16T04:02:14Z")
No help from me… I’m baffled. Please tell us what the heck happens: either way. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/4 "2008-09-16T04:10:24Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Sounds to me like you pissed him off somehow, and now he’s done with you. That’s what I think, too. It sounds as if he is saying “this is the second time you’ve done this, and I won’t give you a chance to do it a third time.” But what the heck does he think you’ve done? It sounds as if this guy is mighty touchy, and tiptoeing around such a person, trying not to set him off, can be a royal pain. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/5 "2008-09-16T04:11:46Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Sounds to me like you pissed him off somehow, and now he’s done with you. My interpretation as well, although there isn’t anything in your description that would explain _why_ he felt that way. When you say you sent the email to him “and a few others,” how many are the “others”? Does he maybe have something against you sending out mass messages with everyone’s email address showing? Just a WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/6 "2008-09-16T04:14:00Z")
Yup, he think’s you’re sending him spam. Have you sent him something in the past that has evoked a similar reponse? Or something that says, “Don’t send me that crap!” ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/7 "2008-09-16T04:34:44Z")
Has he previously presented himself as a tough guy? Either way, I have a bunch of old political/religious glurgy e-mails if you’d like to deluge him from an e-mail address he won’t recognize. (Note that I am not offering to send the messages to him, only forward them to you so you can do the honors – as if Snopes doesn’t have a bunch for you anyway:D) ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/8 "2008-09-16T04:40:14Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] When you say you sent the email to him “and a few others,” how many are the “others”? Does he maybe have something against you sending out mass messages with everyone’s email address showing? Just a WAG. [/QUOTE] Well it was several. Maybe it did look like spam … But that’s not something I regularly do, send stuff out. Like your Aunt Nellie or someone sending you the eleventieth copy of some crazy message? Not something I do. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Yup, he think’s you’re sending him spam. > > Have you sent him something in the past that has evoked a similar reponse? Or something that says, “Don’t send me that crap!” Nope. The only unsolicited email I’ve ever sent him was a notice of an antique sale in North Miss. His wife collects antiques. One other note: He sends this kind of thing every now and then, to a group of people. About once a month, maybe. The last one he sent was about a reenlistment ceremony in Iraq or somewhere. **Oakminster** &\*\* pinkfreud\*\*: sounds angry to you too huh? Weird. I wonder if he’s had too much to drink and has me confused with someone else? Funny thing is, he has our email listed under Hubby’s name. So essentially he sent this message to his own brother. Looks like he’d recognize that name! 😛 **iampunha** : He _is_ a tough old bird. Ex-marine, just turned 60. He’d probably prefer those religious glurgey emails. Hah! ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/9 "2008-09-16T05:27:56Z")
Maybe he doesn’t like to get email with information that is not particularly new or under-reported. After all, the media have been promulgating the aftermath of the hurricane night and day–it’s in the paper, on TV, radio, etc. You yourself characterize the information as “blah, blah, blah.” ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/10 "2008-09-16T05:38:01Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Maybe he doesn’t like to get email with information that is not particularly new or under-reported. After all, the media have been promulgating the aftermath of the hurricane night and day–it’s in the paper, on TV, radio, etc. You yourself characterize the information as “blah, blah, blah.” Maybe so. But then why the “second time”? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/11 "2008-09-16T05:40:56Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Funny thing is, he has our email listed under Hubby’s name. Maybe husband and BIL have had a falling out unrelated to your email. In this case, he might have just seen the sender and subject line and hit reply, quickly typed the equivalent of “piss off!” and never bothered to read the e-mail at all. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/12 "2008-09-16T06:33:40Z")
Could just be that he accidentally replied to you when he meant to send that to someone else. I’ve done that before, although not with angry stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/13 "2008-09-16T09:21:12Z")
Looks like a drunk email to me. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/14 "2008-09-16T14:15:06Z")
Morning has broken. Any new developments? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/15 "2008-09-16T14:22:47Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Morning has broken. Any new developments? Nosir. I haven’t mentioned this to Hubby either, as I don’t want to _cause_ trouble. I sure am curious ! I s’pose time will tell. If it was accidental, or drunk emailing, he might be too embarrassed to reply. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/16 "2008-09-16T15:49:00Z")
It does look angry to me and I’m sure he doesn’t want any more emails, but I couldn’t say what upset him so much. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/17 "2008-09-16T16:31:50Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Nosir. I haven’t mentioned this to Hubby either, as I don’t want to _cause_ trouble. I sure am curious ! I s’pose time will tell. If it was accidental, or drunk emailing, he might be too embarrassed to reply. Instead of wondering, why not pick up the phone and ask him? You don’t have to be confrontational, just tell him you got this odd e-mail and were wondering what it meant. I know some people don’t like to get attachments with e-mails for fear of a virus. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/18 "2008-09-16T16:33:50Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > So essentially he sent this message to his own brother. Looks like he’d recognize that name! 😛 Actually, that makes me think that he sent it on purpose. Lots of brothers give each other shit on a continuous basis. I think you might have just stepped into the normal badinage between them. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/19 "2008-09-16T17:52:54Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Nosir. I haven’t mentioned this to Hubby either, as I don’t want to _cause_ trouble. 😕 Huh? He’s your husband. Why in the world wouldn’t you tell him what happened and get his opinion? Or maybe he’s sent a bunch of shit e-mails your BIL and that’s why your BIL flipped. ---
**Author:** ![pantheon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@pantheon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantheon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796/20 "2008-09-16T18:12:01Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Background: I send an email tonight to my BIL and a few others which is a piece of an article about the hurricane. It’s about 3 paragraphs I reckon. There is one photo in the email but it’s not large. The article is just blah blah blah about the damage. There is no commentary from me in the text, just the article and a cite for the source. Now be honest- we all see your sig line. Were you trying to sell him flood insurance? Again? 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-email-message-your-opinion-on-its-meaning/463796.md?page=2)