Thanks in advance to those who reply :)

Sarg, I honestly think that you are reading too much into it, unless you have another reason to be concerned. It is a very close relationship between supervisor and student with a lot invested on both sides. You are bound to have your ups and downs. If I could give a couple of pieces of advice, it would firstly to have agreed and reasonable deadlines and stick to them. That is, of course, a deadline for the student to do the work and also one for the supervisor to give feedback on the work. Secondly regular timetabled meetings are essential. Something like the first Tuesday of every month at 2pm, for example. Good luck, and remember it really does become a relationship with all the ups and downs which that entails.

Sarge I am assuming you are talking as a post-grad, maybe I was wrong and you are an under-grad? If so all that I wrote still applies, but obviously in a much lower key.

I usually just slap a "Regards" on everything. If it's especially emotional, I'll go "All my best." "Kind regards" is a way of me to say, "You've forced me into an inferior position, you bastard." For instance:

Dear student loan company,

I understand that your desire to repossess my entire family is within your legal rights. I'm sincerely hoping you'll consider just punching me in the nuts twice a month instead.

Kind regards,

SacredDigits

Best regards is like a more personal regards for me, I use it for people I actually like. Best wishes may come out when thematically appropriate, but simply "Best" is like a valediction version of "Fuck off, I didn't actually want to spend the time to write this."

But that's just my profanity strewn take on it.

"but simply "Best" is like a valediction version of "Fuck off, I didn't actually want to spend the time to write this."

See, that's how I feel about it too. It's like someone can't be bothered to be nice and type 'Best wishes'?

@fulhamish: I'm just starting my Masters but have known the tutor for a few years.

I find that tutors do often swap though, perhaps he was just busy - I only had one, who was the nicest person ever, that would consistently without fail write 'Best wishes'.

@fulhamish: I'm just starting my Masters but have known the tutor for a few years.

Good luck with it, I hope that my advice might be a little useful. Sorry if it was a bit incoherent, it is getting late in London.

That's ok, it's pretty late in Manchester as well ;)

Advice is usually always useful and I welcome that you wanted to give it to me - keeping deadlines is definitely something I'd keep on top of though, as I appreciate they have many students all demanding time and attention.

Do you work at a University?

I always sing off with a "Sincerely" in business circles, but I think a salutation is just a rubber stamp usually and I wouldn't read much into it.

Oh, best wishes on your studies from me as well, Sarg. It's not late in Detroit, so I have no excuse there, but, well, it IS Detroit.

Wow, Sarg, you are reading FAR to much into this.

Try not to be so touchy in future.

@ Sarg,

Yes, within reason, it is my view that it is preferable to keep to a deadline, even if that means sending in something that you are not 100 % comfortable with. Moreover, if you do that you have every right to expect the same from your supervisor.

@Jamie: Thanks ;)

You're welcome.

Just to clarify, I'm not feeling touchy about it - I just wanted to ask. I did already acknowledge that it might be too pedantic for some and more than most people read into things. But carry on trolling Jamie.

I wasn't going to say anything, but since you asked... : )

I think you're nuts to read into something this much. He was probably in a rush, which is why the whole email was brief. Trust me, if your advisor is unhappy with you, you'll be the first to know : )

I, clearly, read into things on the same level, so I don't think it's cause for concern.

Unless you find being like me a bad thing.

Oh, and I either use "Thanks" or just sign my name.

I'm not trolling, honestly. You say you're "not feeling touchy", but you seem to be *acting* touchy. For me, most people wouldn't even ask this question in the first place. You're reading far, far too much into this.

I usually use "Thanks".

@ Sarg: To respond more clearly to your OP:

"Does a simple 'Best' imply something different to 'Best wishes'?"

No it does not.

"Are they important or am I reading too much?"

You are reading too much.


Ok?

@abgemacht: Thanks, I always appreciate your opinion. "He was probably in a rush, which is why the whole email was brief." This makes sense.

I wonder if 'Thanks' is an American thing? I've never really seen that used, unless, of course, you have something to be thankful about.

Clearly some people do read into and some people don't - it's subjective. Obviously, it's nice to have my feelings shared with people like SacredDigits but also have them questioned and rationalised by people, in this case, like Abgemacht, fulhamish, and Draugnar.

Makes you wonder if they teach school kids how to finish an email. It'd be bloody useful if they did.

Personally I've adopted "kind regards" or "regards" to all my emails of officialdom, and reserve "all the best" and "hope to see you soon" for friends and family. I wouldn't read too much into someone else's personal choice, unless they said something like "burn in hell" (which I may start using for my closest friends ;) ).

It does go to show that NOBODY really liked "yours faithfully" or "yours sincerely", and we've spent the past god knows how many years polluting our letters with them out of some missplaced belief that everyone else loved them.

Yes, but either way, your life is short, and you only get one shot at it. Time you spend sweating about whether your tutor is marginally less fond of you today than they were yesterday is time you are wasting, and can't get back later.

If you really, really can't sleep without knowing the answer, then just ask your tutor. Better that than you having a nervous breakdown because you become obsessed with the difference between "best wishes" and "best"...

Haha, 'Burn in hell' would be a pretty clear message that even I wouldn't need to dissect too long over :P

Lol, Jamie, that's not what I'm doing - I do always enjoy your hyperbole though.

Well then consider yourself lucky he didn't say that.

At my work place in the U.S. most people use Thanks. Personally, I'm thanking the read for taking the time to carefully read my email, take the appropriate actions if any, and respond.

When writing formal emails, I tend to end the last paragraph with:

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Ges

For work, I use "Yours truly." It is mutually understood that in reality I am not theirs, truly or otherwise. It's more polite than "Yours facetiously."