# "Greetings" as iconic salutation from draft board? Who else used/uses it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220 "2016-12-08T17:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/1 "2016-12-08T17:40:24Z")
First part of query: at least to my ears, it was a sort-of standard joke that a letter beginning with “greetings” was news from the draft board. Was the salutation widely used? I know it’s alternatives are figuring out Mr. and Mrs. (before “Ms.”), and is a hell of a lot simple, and To Whom It May Concern has its own vibe. Has anyone come across it nowadays? I ask because I am emailing back and forth with a software support division–a particular person at this point–and it clearly is part of their template. Just looks odd. ETA: Besides newly landed outer space aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/2 "2016-12-08T17:54:13Z")
I brought that up in conversation with a Vietnam veteran and he said it was actually “Greeting”, no plural, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/3 "2016-12-08T18:08:16Z")
Not exactly the same thing but similar: various official documents, including warrants, certificates, and diplomas, begin with “To all to whom these presents come, greetings” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/4 "2016-12-08T18:44:39Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > I brought that up in conversation with a Vietnam veteran and he said it was actually “Greeting”, no plural, FWIW. Money-saving measure. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/5 "2016-12-08T18:52:00Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Not exactly the same thing but similar: various official documents, including warrants, certificates, and diplomas, begin with “To all to whom these presents come, greetings” or something similar. It certainly began the text of Magna Carta. From the translation [here](https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/magna-carta-english-translation): > [@](#): > > JOHN, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, Greeting. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/6 "2016-12-09T00:21:14Z")
WWII, order to report for induction (so at this stage, you are already registered and had your physical examination) [http://www.808th.com/documents/drafted.htm](http://www.808th.com/documents/drafted.htm) “The President of the United States To \ \ \ Order number \ Greeting” So that was a greeting, from the President, to you. I’ve also read "“Greeting, neighbour” as an expression. Unfortunately, when I google that I just get lots of information about greeting your neighbour. The best I could find was “Greeting, friend” in a “fantasy” story from 2003. [http://www.theonering.com/reading-room/stories/in-times-like-these-chapter-20-a-twin-meeting](http://www.theonering.com/reading-room/stories/in-times-like-these-chapter-20-a-twin-meeting) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/7 "2016-12-09T00:30:53Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > … and To Whom It May Concern has its own vibe. Yes, the basic vibe of “To whom it may concern” is essentially “to whoever happens to be reading this”, which is a hell of an interesting way to address an order to appear for military service! I suppose it’s useful if you’re trying to raise a really big army fast! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/8 "2016-12-09T02:10:54Z")
I use it all the time. I got it from Mr. William Safire in his very interesting _On Language_ column. He was deliberating the uses of _Dear Sir, Dear Ms., Dear Whoever happens to be reading this_… It was less than the, possibly unknown, gender issue than it was, what the fuck’s up with the _Dear_ thing. He suggested a general _Greetings_ to begin a letter. A beautiful, simple, precise salutation that suggests no sexism, malice, ignorance, subservience or anything else but _Hello, this is a letter from me to you._ It’s dignified and I like it. ---
**Author:** ![GinoC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f4b2a3/32.png) [@GinoC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GinoC)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/9 "2016-12-09T04:27:21Z")
All Royal Proclamations from HM Queen Elizabeth II commence: _ **To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting** _ ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220/10 "2016-12-10T12:10:16Z")
Here is Alan Turing’s pardon by Her Maj on Christmas Eve 2013 > **[turing-pardon.pdf](https://cryptome.org/2013/12/turing-pardon.pdf)** > > 54.31 KB It begins: > [@](#): > > ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, To all to whom it these Presents shall come, > > Greeting! GinoC slightly mis-stated it; leaving out the “it”.