Can I use “A Gesture of Goodwill" in a written message
An unforeseen event happen and I would like to send a small gift to apologize.
Can I put in the card "A Gesture of Goodwill" or "Apology Gift"?
If not, what will be more appropriate to write in the card?
phrases phrase-requests
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
add a comment |
An unforeseen event happen and I would like to send a small gift to apologize.
Can I put in the card "A Gesture of Goodwill" or "Apology Gift"?
If not, what will be more appropriate to write in the card?
phrases phrase-requests
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00
add a comment |
An unforeseen event happen and I would like to send a small gift to apologize.
Can I put in the card "A Gesture of Goodwill" or "Apology Gift"?
If not, what will be more appropriate to write in the card?
phrases phrase-requests
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
An unforeseen event happen and I would like to send a small gift to apologize.
Can I put in the card "A Gesture of Goodwill" or "Apology Gift"?
If not, what will be more appropriate to write in the card?
phrases phrase-requests
phrases phrase-requests
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
edited Mar 28 at 22:50
chasly from UK
24.1k13274
24.1k13274
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
asked Feb 27 '17 at 9:04
user222591user222591
611
611
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00
add a comment |
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
A gesture of goodwill is a token to begin making peace when you do not owe anything. However, if you need to apologize, you do owe something. If believe you owe an apology, say so with or without a gift. Offering a gesture of goodwill may not be fitting for you.
Usually, the gesture is a compromise: you cannot get a full refund for a purchase, but the store gives you a small credit as a gesture of goodwill. If you are sorry, you want peace, so apologize fully rather than offering a small gesture of peacemaking.
English Stack Exchange: Is it polite to say as a gesture of goodwill
"normally not necessary when actual good will exists ..."
"may be patronizing"
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
add a comment |
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f375718%2fcan-i-use-a-gesture-of-goodwill-in-a-written-message%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
A gesture of goodwill is a token to begin making peace when you do not owe anything. However, if you need to apologize, you do owe something. If believe you owe an apology, say so with or without a gift. Offering a gesture of goodwill may not be fitting for you.
Usually, the gesture is a compromise: you cannot get a full refund for a purchase, but the store gives you a small credit as a gesture of goodwill. If you are sorry, you want peace, so apologize fully rather than offering a small gesture of peacemaking.
English Stack Exchange: Is it polite to say as a gesture of goodwill
"normally not necessary when actual good will exists ..."
"may be patronizing"
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
add a comment |
A gesture of goodwill is a token to begin making peace when you do not owe anything. However, if you need to apologize, you do owe something. If believe you owe an apology, say so with or without a gift. Offering a gesture of goodwill may not be fitting for you.
Usually, the gesture is a compromise: you cannot get a full refund for a purchase, but the store gives you a small credit as a gesture of goodwill. If you are sorry, you want peace, so apologize fully rather than offering a small gesture of peacemaking.
English Stack Exchange: Is it polite to say as a gesture of goodwill
"normally not necessary when actual good will exists ..."
"may be patronizing"
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
add a comment |
A gesture of goodwill is a token to begin making peace when you do not owe anything. However, if you need to apologize, you do owe something. If believe you owe an apology, say so with or without a gift. Offering a gesture of goodwill may not be fitting for you.
Usually, the gesture is a compromise: you cannot get a full refund for a purchase, but the store gives you a small credit as a gesture of goodwill. If you are sorry, you want peace, so apologize fully rather than offering a small gesture of peacemaking.
English Stack Exchange: Is it polite to say as a gesture of goodwill
"normally not necessary when actual good will exists ..."
"may be patronizing"
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
A gesture of goodwill is a token to begin making peace when you do not owe anything. However, if you need to apologize, you do owe something. If believe you owe an apology, say so with or without a gift. Offering a gesture of goodwill may not be fitting for you.
Usually, the gesture is a compromise: you cannot get a full refund for a purchase, but the store gives you a small credit as a gesture of goodwill. If you are sorry, you want peace, so apologize fully rather than offering a small gesture of peacemaking.
English Stack Exchange: Is it polite to say as a gesture of goodwill
"normally not necessary when actual good will exists ..."
"may be patronizing"
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38
Community♦
1
1
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
answered Feb 27 '17 at 19:26
Yosef BaskinYosef Baskin
5,0652926
5,0652926
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f375718%2fcan-i-use-a-gesture-of-goodwill-in-a-written-message%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Say, you are (deeply) sorry for the misunderstanding/mistake/event, and will they please accept your gift.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:17
The expression "gesture of goodwill" should come from the offended party, not by you, as a way to say let bygones be bygones, e.g. let's swipe the slate clean.
– Mari-Lou A
Feb 27 '17 at 9:20
Addressing a point that may be relevant, a 'gesture' may be metaphorically extended from the hand-signalling to any action signifying something more meaningful. But this is general reference.
– Edwin Ashworth
Feb 27 '17 at 9:35
I think you meant "message", not "massage". How you word the message depends on the nature of the event and on your role in it. I understand that it may not be appropriate to disclose those details in a public forum. If you mean apologize in the sense that you have done something wrong and wish to make amends, you can use the word apology directly; if you mean that you're sorry that someone has encountered a difficult situation that is no fault of yours, something along the lines of support (or condolences if someone has passed away) might be more appropriate.
– Lawrence
Feb 27 '17 at 12:00