30 Funny Email Sign Offs That Are Better Than “Best” (Infographic)

Thanks. Cheers. Kind regards. Best wishes.

Those are the only acceptable phrases to close business emails, right? You want to sound like a Serious Professional who approaches every business relationship with the proper sense of gravity and importance, don’t you?

News flash: Depending on the message you’re trying to send, a straight-laced goodbye doesn’t always fit. Instead, check out these attention-grabbing closers that will be sure to get a chuckle from your readers — and save your email from the spam box.

30 Funny Email Sign Offs

1. G2G, Bye!
2. TTYL
3. L8ter
4. Peace Out
5. Live Long and Prosper
6. May the Force Be With You
7. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
8. See You Later, Alligator
9. Stay Frosty
10. Tag, You’re It
11. Blasting Off
12. To Infinity and Beyond
13. Your Friendly Neighbor …
14. Have A Good Morning, and in Case I Don’t See Ya ….
15. Fare Thee Well
16. Catch You on the Flip Side
17. Hasta La Vista
18. Gotta Blast
19. Thanks – I’ll See Myself Out
20. Stay Awesome
21. 👋
22. Are You Still Reading This?
23. Smell Ya Later!
24. GIF or JIF?
25. Stay Positive and Keep Testing Negative
26. Stay Classy, San Diego
27. Stay Tuned
28. At a Loss for Words
29. Live, Laugh, Love
30. That’s All, Folks

When Does a Professional Email Sign Off Make Sense?

Professional emails have changed a lot since the dial-up days, and humor is more acceptable in a business setting. Obviously you don’t want to load your contracts with emojis, but there is more leeway when writing prospecting emails and similar sales correspondence.

On the whole, modern leaders have seen the benefits of incorporating humor and business. In fact, 79% of CFOs say that humor plays an important role in how well employees fit in with the company culture. Using humor when you write business emails is an opportunity to show off your wit and creativity, which can make others more empathetic toward you.

30 Ideas for Funny and Eye-Catching Email Closings

While starting an email with a strong subject line is crucial, ending an email on a funny note leaves a good impression — even if it’s not a gut-buster. The next time you’re sending an informal email to a prospect, client or colleague, use these entertaining closing salutations to inspire your writing:

1. G2G, Bye!

Everything old is new again, but for readers, hearing the 1990s referred to as old may hurt a little. The good news is that means we all get to revive our old AOL Instant Messenger away messages. Whether you were getting called to the dinner table or your parents had just opened your school report card and you needed to find somewhere to hide fast, “G2G, bye!” was one of the quickest ways to exit a chat.

2. TTYL

Staying on theme with our AOL days, get your readers ready for a follow-up email with a quick “talk to you later.” Save this one for more informal emails to prospects who are likely to understand the reference.

3. L8ter

If you’re keeping things brief, your reader won’t have to be a sk8er boi to appreciate this lighthearted closing line. Plus, if you use this one, you can have some fun mixing numbers and letters throughout your m3$$@ge.

4. Peace Out

At least this blast from the past goes a little further back than the 1990s. Send your recipients some good vibes with a casual “Peace out!” at the end of your next email. While you probably don’t want to rock a tie-dyed tee at your next in-person sales call, you can get away with injecting a bit of peace and love into your business correspondence.

This is also, like, a great spot to add an emoji if you’re feeling it, man. No pressure. ✌️

5. Live Long and Prosper

The traditional Vulcan closing salutation accompanied by a raised hand (🖖) actually predates the use of the peace hand sign. Pretty neat, huh?

“Star Trek” has millions of fans of all ages across the globe, so you can be reasonably sure your recipients will understand this email signature. And even if you do happen to email someone who has been living under a rock for the past 50 years, it’s still a pleasant sentiment.

6. May the Force Be With You

On the other side of the fandom wars, we have the traditional Jedi farewell from “Star Wars.” It’s a phrase that expresses your goodwill and wishes the recipient good luck. Try using this sign off when you’re helping a prospect solve a challenge. Master Kenobi would be proud.

7. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

If any of your colleagues have a sticker of the number 42 on their laptop or desk, you’ll definitely get a chuckle out of them with this sign off inspired by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

While this sendoff was the parting message of the dolphins as they fled Earth before its complete destruction, you don’t need to save it for situations quite so dire. If you and your recipient are close enough to banter via email, then this fishy farewell is a fun way to express your gratitude.

8. See You Later, Alligator

What a classic. What an absolute masterpiece of a parting salutation. Most of us have carefully practiced this two-part farewell since we were first learning to wave goodbye. Like a tennis pro lobbing a ball high into the clear air, the phrase beautifully sets up the reader to return the expected, “in a while, crocodile.”

9. Stay Frosty

This military valediction can be used to mean “stay alert” or “be cool” and is often used by fans of the movie “Aliens” as a parting phrase. It’s even been adopted by members of the Marine Corps.

You may not be facing off against a hive of xenomorphs, but the corporate world does have its own risks. In a business setting, it may be appropriate to use this farewell when you and your recipient are about to tackle a new project or challenge.

10. Tag, You’re It

All sales people have been in this situation: You’re prospecting for clients and you know that you have a valuable product or service – but no one is biting. You send carefully worded emails and yet receive no responses.

Give your recipients a tag and see if anyone tags you back. When you’ve tried the formal way and it’s not working, what do you have to lose with a harmless gimmick?

11. Blasting Off

Are you referencing a classic 1990s video game turned TV show or just pleasantly signing off from your email? Who’s to say. The answer there is between you and your aging Game Boy collection, reader.

12. To Infinity and Beyond

If this “Toy Story” reference doesn’t pull at your colleagues’ heartstrings, we doubt that anything will. Equal parts inspirational and nostalgic, there’s a good reason many of us are still quoting Buzz Lightyear’s famous motto long after this classic Pixar movie first came out.

13. Your Friendly Neighbor …

While you may not be swinging from webs like New York City’s own Peter Parker, you are trying to be your customer’s hero. Close off your message with this iconic quote alongside your own job title to give a little glimpse at the person behind the mask – or, in this case, the computer.

14. Have a Good Morning, and in Case I Don’t See Ya ….

Good afternoon, good evening and good night! When Jim Carrey first uttered this cheery line in his 1998 movie “The Truman Show,” none of us could have predicted its staying power. Whether you have a sci-fi fan on your hands or not, the pleasant sentiment of this goodbye is sure to make it a crowd-pleaser.

15. Fare Thee Well

OK, this one definitely throws it back a little further than some of our earlier mentions. If you play around with this goodbye, try weaving older concepts in throughout your message. In the Dark Ages, maybe we all relied on your competitor’s ancient solution but now, you’re here to be the next da Vinci!

16. Catch You on the Flip Side

Here’s some music trivia for you: This phrase comes from when radio DJs originally played vinyl records. The disks had two sides – on a 45 RPM disk, sides A and B. So when a DJ played the B side, they’d often say, “And now on the flip side.” So, if your very first email is your own “Side A,” consider your follow-up to be “Side B.”

17. Hasta La Vista!

Channel your inner Arnie and let your readers know this isn’t the last they’ve heard of you. For non-“Terminator” fans, this funny quote is also how you say “see you later” in Spanish, which can be another good way to switch up your routine goodbye.

And not only will this sign off give the reader a chuckle, but it also adds a bit of drama to the content — making it the perfect way to spice up an otherwise mundane email.

18. Gotta Blast

If you’re messaging a Zillenial – or a caregiver who sat through way too many 2000s cartoons – this nod to Nickelodeon’s “Jimmy Neutron” can be a subtle way to show that hey, you aren’t like other business professionals. You’re a cool one. Also, give yourself some bonus points if you’re picking up that reference, too.

19. Thanks – I’ll See Myself Out

Imagine you’re a house guest in your would-be customer’s inbox. The polite thing to do is to clean up any mess you’ve made, thank them for their hospitality and shut the door on your way out.

20. Stay Awesome

Let’s be real here: Who doesn’t appreciate a little flattery? Although this sign off won’t get you as many LOLs as some of our other examples, it never hurts to charm your reader with some kind words.

21. 👋

First of all, yes, emojis are acceptable in email subject lines and sign offs. And if less is more, this super simple email signature is the ultimate winner. Plus, if you have a strict character limit, you won’t be able to cut your word count much shorter than with a single emoji. Oh, and if the wave is a little too brash, you could go with the ultimate chill-vibes sign off emoji: 😎.

22. Are You Still Reading This?

You are? Thanks for sticking with us!

There was once a college professor who would give exams with very long written instructions. Most students skipped reading them because they thought they understood how to take a test. However, the next day when the professor was going over the answers, he revealed that within the instructions was the sentence, “If you don’t want to take the test, just sign your name and leave the rest blank for full credit.”

What if you hid a special promotion at the very end of your email – something just for the people who took the time to read the whole message? It’ll make them feel special – and superior to email skimmers – and you may just get more responses.

23. Smell Ya Later!

Actually, no. You probably don’t want to use this one.

24. GIF or JIF?

However you pronounce this word (personally, the author is partial to a hard g), an attention-grabbing animated clip is a great way to break up a wall of text and leave your reader with something to remember you be.

25. Stay Positive and Keep Testing Negative

This funny email sign off is very on-brand for the post-COVID era and adds a pinch of humor to a bleak, long-winded health crisis.

26. Stay Classy, San Diego

Any “Anchorman” enthusiast in the crowd will appreciate this one. As Ron Burgundy’s — played by the hilarious Will Farrell — signature sign off phrase when concluding his news segments, the catchphrase is now iconic. So you’re sure to get a few laughs when you add it to the ending of your emails.

27. Stay Tuned

Ending an email with “Stay tuned” is great because not only is it different, but it’s also a little suspenseful. It’s an ideal sign off to include when introducing a new topic or letting someone know that you’ll be sending over additional materials. 

28. At a Loss for Words

What better way to conclude a lengthy email than to admit that there’s nothing left to say? Not only is this email sign off funny, but it also pokes fun at long-winded emails — something we all can appreciate.

29. Live, Laugh, Love

Surely, you’ve heard of — or seen it hanging on a wall — the “live, laugh, love” phrase. While the original use of the saying dates back to a 1904 poem, “Success” by Bessie Anderson Stanley, the phrase has been adopted by social media influencers and home decor enthusiasts — almost to the point of it being used too often. This is why today, the phrase has become passé. But by incorporating the well-known phrase into your email sign off, you’re playing into the “live, laugh, love” cliché, which someone reading your email might find hilarious.

30. That’s All, Folks

No, seriously. That’s it. Now it’s your turn to brainstorm some fun closers of your very own!

A Brief History of Email Etiquette

Chatting online hasn’t always been this fun.

Email technology has its origins in the hazy days of the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s, when email became an accessible communication tool thanks to early webmail services, that the question of etiquette was raised.

For people who were used to communicating via telephone, the return to the written word was looked at as an opportunity to revive more formal and carefully constructed language.

A 1998 editorial piece published in The Washington Post advised readers to save email for scheduling meetings and sharing research, but to use traditional mail for professional matters. The author noted that emails were too ephemeral and tone-deaf to convey important information. At the time, email was considered to be something for the younger crowd, and people worried that abbreviations like “IMHO” and “TTYL” would be misunderstood by recipients. In 1999, CBS told its viewers to avoid using “smilies,” which “are cute, but confusing.”

In an ironic twist, those “confusing” emojis somewhat solved the issue of tone-deaf writing. Now, a smiley face can clarify a sarcastic phrase or make it clear when you’re telling a joke. Plus, emojis are in the dictionary now, so just try arguing with that.

Don’t forget: Whether you’re crafting a re-engagement email or sending an announcement to your customers, you’ll want to incorporate the latest-and-greatest tactics into your marketing emails. Sign up for our newsletter so you can get marketing tips sent directly to your inbox.

Editor’s Note: Updated May 2022.