# Help me with my work farewell mesage, please **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946 "2014-10-29T23:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/1 "2014-10-29T23:46:39Z")
Friday is my last day of work, before retirement. As is traditional around here (and anyway I want to) I am sending out a final farewell email through Outlook. I am considering putting this on the subject line: “So long, and thanks for all the fish.” I recognize there will be some unknown number of people who won’t get the reference. Is this too esoteric and weird? The rest of the message is quite nice, if I say so myself. I don’t want to put people off right at the outset, though. So, do you think this would work, or should I use something else? If something else, what is your suggestion? Poll to follow. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/2 "2014-10-29T23:48:15Z")
Well, when I retired, I had to be argued out of sending “kiss my ass” so probably I’m not the one to ask. ETA: congratulations on joining the ranks of the unemployed! Enjoy your new life. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/3 "2014-10-30T00:01:42Z")
Well, someone here suggested “I’ve done my time in the big house, and they’re letting me out early for good behavior” but I want to go out sweetly. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/4 "2014-10-30T00:06:44Z")
Use the line. The people who understand it will explain it to the others. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/5 "2014-10-30T07:47:56Z")
Throughout your career, did you in fact acquire a goodly supply of fish? Enough to retire on? And did you co-workers get enough fish too? If not, your sentiment might seem gloating or boastful. They might get resentful. You might be forced to spend your retirement as a potted petunia. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/6 "2014-10-30T08:08:03Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I am considering putting this on the subject line. > I recognize there will be some people who won’t get the reference. Is this too esoteric and weird? As a subject line, yes, it’s esoteric and weird. In the body of the mail, it would be okay, if you add some context. You should respect the feelings of the people who won’t get it. Not everybody reads the same books you do. Nobody likes to feel confused, and nobody likes to feel that they are missing out on a joke, or being made fun of because they don’t understand something. These are co-workers, not a clique of close friends. So add the context: type ''As Douglas Adams would say, “so long and thanks for the fish”. " That will still leave some people asking "who is Douglas Adams?–but at least they will know that the expression is obviously a quote, and not some in-joke about office politics which they have been missing out on for years. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/7 "2014-10-30T09:58:17Z")
First - congratulations! And second, yes - absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/8 "2014-10-30T10:30:42Z")
\*After 30 years with this firm, I believe I have finally discovered who moved my cheese and where the rotten so-and-so put it. Again. When making this discovery in the past, I have made the mistake of simply requesting that my cheese be delivered to me. This practice has not worked to my benefit. Therefore, as of today, I am embarking on a quest to retrieve my cheese for myself. If I am never seen at this firm again, you may safely assume that I have successfully recovered my cheese, and have repaired to my home to eat it. I wish all of you every success in your own cheese-finding endeavors. Very truly no longer yours, Roderick Femm\* Congratulations, and I hope you can use this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/9 "2014-10-30T11:08:44Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > [ > > Congratulations, and I hope you can use this. 🙂 I love this. Of course, my dislike of this book is well known in my workplace. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LynnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/10 "2014-10-30T11:46:35Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > As a subject line, yes, it’s esoteric and weird. In the body of the mail, it would be okay, if you add some context. You should respect the feelings of the people who won’t get it. Not everybody reads the same books you do. Nobody likes to feel confused, and nobody likes to feel that they are missing out on a joke, or being made fun of because they don’t understand something. > These are co-workers, not a clique of close friends. > > So add the context: > type ''As Douglas Adams would say, “so long and thanks for the fish”. " > That will still leave some people asking "who is Douglas Adams?–but at least they will know that the expression is obviously a quote, and not some in-joke about office politics which they have been missing out on for years. Agree–note the difference between an \*\*\*allusion \*\*\*and a _ **reference** _. An allusion _excludes_ those unfamiliar with the source, while a reference _includes_ everyone: From [Allude - definition of allude by The Free Dictionary](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/allude) Usage Note: \*Allude \*and \*allusion \*are often used where the more general terms \*refer \*and \*reference \*would be preferable. \*Allude \*and \*allusion \*normally apply to indirect references in which the source is not specifically identified: “Well, we’ll always have Paris,” he told the travel agent, in an allusion to Casablanca. \*Refer \*and _reference_, unless qualified, usually imply specific mention of a source: I will refer to Hamlet for my conclusion: As Polonius says, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” See Usage Note at refer. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/11 "2014-10-30T13:01:34Z")
> [@Lsura](#): > > I love this. Of course, my dislike of this book is well known in my workplace. 🙂 And as an added bonus, the book itself is well-known in most workplaces (at least by reputation). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/12 "2014-10-30T14:16:16Z")
For a fun parting e-mail, “Guess where I hid the dead rat” can’t be beat. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/13 "2014-10-30T14:26:53Z")
I don’t think this question can be answered without some knowledge of your workplace demographics. Is it populated by erudite hipster geeks like us? Or by uptight stuffed shirts stiffs? Or by saggy-drawered, backward-hat slackers? That would make all the difference how many people “get it.” That said, I’d still do it if it amused me. Who cares how many people get it? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/14 "2014-10-30T14:29:18Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I don’t think this question can be answered without some knowledge of your workplace demographics. Is it populated by erudite hipster geeks like us? Or by uptight stuffed shirts stiffs? Or by saggy-drawered, backward-hat slackers? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/15 "2014-10-30T14:31:32Z")
> [@LynnM](#): > > Agree–note the difference between an \*\*\*allusion \*\*\*and a _ **reference** _. > > An allusion _excludes_ those unfamiliar with the source, while a reference _includes_ everyone: > > From [Allude - definition of allude by The Free Dictionary](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/allude) > Usage Note: \*Allude \*and \*allusion \*are often used where the more general terms \*refer \*and \*reference \*would be preferable. \*Allude \*and \*allusion \*normally apply to indirect references in which the source is not specifically identified: “Well, we’ll always have Paris,” he told the travel agent, in an allusion to Casablanca. \*Refer \*and _reference_, unless qualified, usually imply specific mention of a source: I will refer to Hamlet for my conclusion: As Polonius says, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” See Usage Note at refer. A very fair (and erudite) point. I think this is where I was stuck, without realizing it. Thank you (and **chappachula** ). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/16 "2014-10-30T16:45:08Z")
I think you should definitely use that line in your farewell message. You could include a link to the opening credits/theme song from the movie as well. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/17 "2014-10-30T17:07:03Z")
I think you should use it. If the people who you are sending it to know you and like you, then they should get it, and like me, find it amusing. The rest of them probably don’t care either way. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/18 "2014-10-30T17:34:54Z")
I’ve decided to use it, but with an asterisk, and with the reference explained at the end of the email. I think that changes it from an allusion to a reference, and won’t have some people feeling left out. Thanks, everyone, for your input. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/19 "2014-10-30T18:14:06Z")
I’d go ahead and use it. In 2006 when I and a lot of other people left Paramount, I used “Good Morning” as my subject line and at the said “Good Morning, and in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night.” I also worked in a lot of other quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-work-farewell-mesage-please/702946/20 "2014-10-30T18:20:06Z")
I’d use [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzGoDtmTllg) instead but you may not feel that way. 😃