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Re: is one of those commonly used letter combinations (like SIC) that people tend to make up their own meanings for.
Re: is used at the top of letters and emails in order to steer the reader to the single most important topic of the message:
Dear Sir,
Re: Your order of 10/3/09Re: Your submission For Whom the Bell Tolls
I’ve seen Re: explained as an abbreviation of the words “regarding” or “referencing.”
However, Re is not an abbreviation for anything.Re: means “re.”
Re is an English preposition in use since at least the 18th century. It means “in the matter of, with reference to.”
Like sic, re is a Latin word. It is the ablative form of the Latin noun res meaning “thing” or “affair.” Lawyers use the legal phrase in re when a proceeding is not brought by a person, but has to do with something like probate, or a public project like laying out a highway.
NOTE: Watch out for the definition “in regards to” given at Wiki Answers.
“In regards” is nonstandard English for in regard to.
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I’ve always thought the “RE:” stood for “reply,” as it always appeared in the subject line for email replies like “FWD:” does for forwarded messages. But my assumption that “re” is an abbreviation of “reply” isn’t too far off from the correct definition, as the word “reply” derives from the Latin “re-plicare.”
Love this website! It is THE most useful site in my feed. I have learned so much. You have saved me immeasurable time from always researching everything. God BLESS you. Now, my question, and I would love it if you could ever elaborate on it: What is the definition of peep, or rather what exactly does it mean in regards to all social media, etc., well, everything? I have looked in the dictionary and have gotten the expected definitions, to look, and one definition for people. I have heard a few people refer to, I think, their audience, as peeps. When did this originate and why? What is the correct usage in this regard? I can’t wait for you to expound. Thank you so much. And, by the way, you may use my garbled post here as a future example. I can handle it!
And remember, if you do use the word, to say ‘ree’ not ‘ray’!
In Email’s Subject Line “Re:” most commonly understood as “Reply/Response” to an Email.
“Re: ” is not taken as abbreviation of Regards/Reference.
For Reference, Abbreviation is “Ref.”
For Regards, there is no abbreviation used.
Perhaps this has been addressed, but if not – peeps is a term used as a colloquialism for people – mostly used in reference to friends or fans.
I gotta holla at ma peeps. = I’m going to enjoy a short exchange with colleagues or friends.
Where ma peeps at? = I’m either seeking social acceptance, or trying to physically locate a collection of friends.
Sheila, re the definition of peep(s), also look it up at http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserv.....uptodate3/.
BTW, that is another site that makes my day – just as DWT does. Kudos DWT Team, though, for that much welcome industry in their publishing work on their site..
Re: Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Hereinabove re: is short/er for ref. It is used as part of headers in important correspondence; means concerning, with reference to; and it is necessarily followed by a compelling data that is referenced
Re- prefix. Again: again and in a different way
Re second note of the scale in solfa notation.(music). Anglicized in spelling as ray
Re: Cassell’s Latin Dictionary
Re- prep. Meaning sometimes back, sometimes against, and sometimes again
In the post above there is a casual reference to the Latin word SIC. This in fact is short for sicut, meaning: as, just as, etc.
In English this is used along with a citation containing a evident error, intending to affirm that the error is from the original text.