# Does "Reply to all" go to BCC addresses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2002, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686 "2002-11-07T11:12:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/21 "2002-11-07T14:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Well, I reanswered the question, and my answer was the same as Mort’s. I sent an email to myself here at work with my home email as the BCC. Then I took the received email from work and clicked Reply All. This would either send that email to just the original sender (me at work) or to the original and the BCC (me at home). > > I received the second email at work. Did not receive it at home. > > All is well in the land of dan. \*\* Now take the message you received at work and have your mail program show you the raw text of the message. You should not find any trace of the BCC address anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/22 "2002-11-07T15:41:03Z")
Actually, I don’t think that CC stands for “carbon copy”. Once upon a time, it was common practice to pluralize a single-letter abbreviation by doubling the letter. That’s where we get “pp.” for pages, “ff” for following, and “cc” for copies. I know this came up on the boards before; I’ll try to dig up the thread. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/23 "2002-11-07T15:45:11Z")
[Found it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=108728)! Check the first response. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/24 "2002-11-07T16:30:56Z")
As it turns out, it’s identical to the second response. Blind hamsters I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/25 "2002-11-07T18:41:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > \*\* > No, no. You must be thinking of “carabiner.” 😃 > > [This thread is in serious danger of wandering off into a malapropism fest.] \*\* No, no, Carabiner was that movie with Liza Minelli, wasn’t it? (flipping channels to try to find Electric Company…) ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/26 "2002-11-07T18:47:24Z")
Willkommen, Beinvenu, Welcome… ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/27 "2002-11-07T20:57:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, I don’t think that CC stands for “carbon copy”. Rats. **ultrafilter** beat me to it. I discovere the same thing on the same thread. I learn something new every day. RR ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/28 "2002-11-08T00:48:11Z")
From the “help” files in Outlook 2002: > [@](#): > > **Cc is an abbreviation for carbon copy… Bcc is an abbreviation for blind carbon copy.** ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/29 "2002-11-08T00:58:53Z")
Oh, sure. Like Microsoft would know. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686/30 "2002-11-08T01:02:51Z")
Despite what **Polycarp** had to say on the subject (that cc stands for “copies”), The American Heritage Dictionary defines cc as an abbreviation for carbon copy. Acronym Finder comes up with 179 hits for cc, none of which is “copies.” Sorry, folks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reply-to-all-go-to-bcc-addresses/135686.md?page=1)