a friendly reminder
Meaning(s)
1. a non-confrontational way to get someone to remember something
Popularity
High
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
give a friendly reminder to someone
Analysis
The term 'a friendly reminder' is generally used when the reminder isn't very friendly at all. You might get a 'friendly reminder' from a bank or a utility company about money you owe, or a Manager might email you with a 'friendly reminder' that your report is due on his desk first thing Monday morning. These are 'soft language' terms designed to conceal the true urgency of a request or demand by presenting it politely.
Social Examples (Basic)
- The letter I received from the bank this morning was a friendly reminder that my credit card payment is overdue. If I don't make the payment soon, the next letter they send me will not be so polite!
- Maria sent me a friendly reminder about her party tonight. I'm glad she did, I had forgotten all about it.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- The email I sent to the company was just a friendly reminder that the fee they owe me for my services is due at the end of the week.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- Just a friendly reminder to everyone; please flag up any issues you encounter with the new operating system so we can iron out the wrinkles before we go live with it.
- Can you send the client a friendly reminder for our meeting on Wednesday? I hope they haven't forgotten.