# English Address

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971 "2017-12-09T00:52:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971/61 "2017-12-15T20:42:19Z")

</div>

There’s the apocryphal tale of a letter addressed as :

HILL  
JOHN  
MASS

which was correctly delivered to John Underhill, Andover, Mass

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971/62 "2017-12-15T23:37:39Z")

</div>

> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> I’ve always thought using ZIP+4 for a post office box was kinda silly. The “4” is almost invariably the numbers of the box itself.

Right, so all you need is the ZIP plus 4. I thought it was cool. 🆒

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971/63 "2017-12-15T23:52:05Z")

</div>

In his book “The Cuckoo’s Egg” astronomer Cliff Stoll tells of sending a letter addressed only as:

TJ  
20016

and it arrived.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971/64 "2017-12-16T00:00:23Z")

</div>

My husband has had a letter addressed

Master Steve  
\<4-digit postcode\>

reach him.

These things happen when you live in a town of 300 people

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971.md?page=3)