‘Apologies for any confusion!’: how to write the perfect passive-aggressive email
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>In a survey, ‘just to be clear’ came out as the most loathed phrase. But I think I can do better</p><p>A new contender for the most passive-aggressive email phrase has emerged. “Just to be clear” was chosen by 52% of desk jockeys in a survey by email verification company ZeroBounce, closely followed by the perennial pass-ag fave, “per my last email” (40%), which tied with the identical-in-intent “as previously discussed”. Further down the list came “for future reference” and “kindly note”.</p><p>If you ask me, these all verge on <em>actual </em>aggressive. Imagine saying “just to be clear” out loud to another person: that’s a conversational poke in the ribs, isn’t it? It’s the kind of thing you unleash 10 minutes into an ill-tempered wrangle with your home insurance company about inflated renewal premiums. “Kindly note” is even worse – it’s a phrase from an angry message on the office kitchen wall about microwave abuse.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/31/apologies-for-any-confusion-how-to-write-the-perfect-passive-aggressive-email">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
In a survey, ‘just to be clear’ came out as the most loathed phrase. But I think I can do betterA new contender for the most passive-aggressive email phrase has emerged. “Just to be clear” was chosen by 52% of desk jockeys in a survey by email verification company ZeroBounce, closely followed by the perennial pass-ag fave, “per my last email” (40%), which tied with the identical-in-intent “as previously discussed”. Further down the list came “for future reference” and “kindly note”.If you ask me, these all verge on actual aggressive. Imagine saying “just to be clear” out loud to another person: that’s a conversational poke in the ribs, isn’t it? It’s the kind of thing you unleash 10 minutes into an ill-tempered wrangle with your home insurance company about inflated renewal premiums. “Kindly note” is even worse – it’s a phrase from an angry message on the office kitchen wall about microwave abuse. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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