Big Hug [closing an email?] (2025)

I see this more and more in American English when writing a goodbye, in an e-mail, for example.

For example (made-up): Well, I hope the situation works out for the best. Big Hug, XXX

My question/query: How do British English perceive this? Do you use it as well?

It is used in BE, but I usually see it in situations where support is being offered (e.g. if somebody has died/is ill in hospital/etc.).

So that's how I understand it.

Salutation escalation is what I call it. Back in the day, a few XXX (representing kisses) was enough. Maybe people feel themselves more in need of a hug nowadays. I'd be pleased to read "Big Hug" in a letter or e-mail if the person sending it would be likely to hug me in the non-virtual world too. If the person sending it was a mere acquaintance I'd be flabbergasted.

Having said that, I think many people are "huggers" in real life, and this is reflected in their choice of e-mail salutation. Could be worse. Personally I'd save a "Big Hug" for someone with whom I was on very familiar terms. Since you say perpend that you see this more and more, I gather that your correspondents are becoming increasingly familiar and that this may be unjustified. There's probably more insincere hugging going on, and that's just carried over into the language.

Thanks, GMF. In those situations, it is said, and do the people actally hug?

Or, is it just something to mean "Condolences", which could be written, as well.

Ugh. I'm stuck in my own thread. Thanks again.

EDIT: Cross-posted ... with velisarius. Haven't yet read.

I agree with velisarius that I'd only use it if it was somebody I knew well and would hug in the non-virtual world. Acquaintances not so much...

Hi Cenzontle,
,
No, not like in Teletubbles, but maybe that's where it started.

This is just about the closing in an e-mail, and you, well rather "I" write, i.e., "Big Hug, perpend".

Bye, perpend

Cenzontle said:

My question, perpend, is about the people who write that: Are they perhaps parents of toddlers?
In saying "Big Hug!" they may be quoting the television program Teletubbies.

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No, my son's nearly 21. Teletubbies came out when he was a toddler but at the time, in Italy, it was dubbed - I only heard the English version quite a while later, in the UK.

sound shift said:

I must move in the wrong circles because my incoming emails don't contain it, except for the occasional message from a Spanish speaker, in which case I interpret it as a direct translation.

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Erm. Maybe it is about the circles in which we move, sound shift, but I don't think it has any inkling of being a translation from a Spanish speaker. Those may be other circles in your life.

Like ss, I was thinking there might be a Spanish influence, perpend....

(True confession: I sometimes use Big Hugs (plural) - but not Big Hug.)

Loob said:

Like ss, I was thinking there might be a Spanish influence, perpend....

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I don't speak Spanish and have no contact with any Spaniards....