Amy Vanderbilt's Everyday Etiquette: Answers to today's etiquette questions
(with illustrations by Mary Suzuki and Andrew Warhol
Bantam Books, NY
© 1960

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Correspondence: Thank You Notes

Just what is a bread-and-butter note? -- M.P. New York, New York

A bread-and-butter letter is a letter of thanks written for entertainment overnight or longer. Technically, a bread-and-butter letter may consist of a mere Thank you for the lovely weekend,... but it is better to make it a little more human even when it must be quite brief. It is usually handwritten, though if your handwritting is highly illegible it may be typed. Here is a possible example:

Dear Mildred,
Your party and the entire weekend, as always, were great fun. I enjoyed meeting the Le Beaus and found them just as stimulating as you promised. In fact, just talking to M. Le Beau stirred me to dig out my French grammar again.
          Love,
          Josephine