# Would this email sound too much like sucking up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836 "2004-08-27T20:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/1 "2004-08-27T20:29:31Z")
My work term as a Research Assistant ends today. I was thinking of sending my prof, who operates out of the lab and hired me, a thank-you email. Note that he retired this year (he’s still here to supervise a grad student). Something along the lines of, "I wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work in the lab this summer, as I enjoyed the work and the new learning experience. I am also particularly grateful for the opportunity to present work at the conference\* as this is what I hope to do more of in the future. Thanks again and I wish you well in your retirement" I’m not sure - do you think that sounds too suck-upy? The prof really was a great guy though, and I’m not lying in what I say. (\*He’ll know what conference I mean.) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/2 "2004-08-27T20:41:59Z")
Nope – not suck-uppy at all – very nice, in fact. He’ll be tickled. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/3 "2004-08-27T20:46:16Z")
It doesn’t sound to sucky to me either but how about sending him a real card. I personally like it a bit better. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/4 "2004-08-27T20:46:51Z")
Seconded. It’s nice. In every research group I’ve worked, sending an email like this would be cool and no one would think twice about it. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/5 "2004-08-27T20:54:27Z")
To clarify, I was seconding **twickster**. I disagree with the real card idea. That’s too much. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/6 "2004-08-27T20:57:14Z")
Go for it. But I like the card idea. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/7 "2004-08-27T21:25:32Z")
Thanks for the reassurance. I think I’ll just stick to email though. ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/8 "2004-08-28T11:29:14Z")
A fine idea. I ama little saddened that people can’t even say “thank you” anymore without worrying about appearing overly gracious (i.e. a suck-up). Miss Manners would be shocked. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/9 "2004-08-28T11:46:52Z")
I think it is a great idea. But I agree, it is a better idea if you get a card and send it. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/10 "2004-08-28T16:27:43Z")
I think it’s a great idea but I’d send a real card. When someone sends me something sweet like that, I want to keep it. Emails eventually get deleted. ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-email-sound-too-much-like-sucking-up/261836/11 "2004-08-28T17:43:14Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > I think it’s a great idea but I’d send a real card. > > When someone sends me something sweet like that, I want to keep it. Emails eventually get deleted. ditto. I’d definitely go with a real card.