Stop Saying 'NOTED'! Here Are 8 'Better' Ways You Can Respond to Work Emails

Email writing is an art form. No matter how stressful our workload could be, we should find time to reply to our bosses’ urgent emails with the most polite response. If you’ve mastered the art of email writing, perhaps you can say that you’ve finally blossomed into adulthood. Even though deep down, you’re basically dragging through the week and counting the days until the next payday, with just one email from your boss, you snap to attention, replying with a swift “noted” automatically.

But does a simple “noted” suffice? According to a LinkedIn post by business leader Louie Banta, we could actually do a lot better than this.

While plenty of netizens saw Banta’s point, more Filipinos did the inevitable and found ways to make this into a meme. Here are 8 other funny replies some netizens have thought of.

DISCLAIMER: While these comic clapbacks are fun to imagine, sadly, using them in real-life workplaces probably isn’t a good idea. Proceed with caution, and don’t use these on an irate boss!

Geh, geh / G lang / Awts, gege

A contraction of “sige“, “geh” is commonly used by gamers. It’s got plenty of variations. “Awts, gege” is something you’d say after losing a game. If you plan to use this with your boss, make sure you’ve got a somewhat friendly relationship or you might as well look forward to your termination letter. Awts, indeed.

STOP USING “NOTED” AS YOUR REPLY.

Prof: I need your excuse letter today, Ms. Pabroa.
Me: Gege lods.

— ‏ً (@annayleen) May 13, 2021

Push, mars!

STOP USING “NOTED” AS YOUR REPLY.

Boss: I need that report today, Ricci.
Me: Push, Mars.

— ricci (@ricci_richy) May 13, 2021

Now’s your chance to show your go-getter attitude! If only Ruffa Mae Quinto was here to cheer us up, we might hear her say, “go, go, go!” Because when life keeps on pulling us down, why not push back? (Just make sure you’re not saying this to anyone who’s suffering from fragile masculinity, or you might get a memo from HR.)

Keribels

When there’s so much going on in the world, in the workplace, in the house, and within yourself, sometimes all you can muster is a single-word assurance. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work, and much more fun than “noted”.

Gwaenchana, gwaenchana!

Is your boss a K-drama addict? You know what to do. (JFYI, “gwaenchana” simply means “good” or “alright.”)

Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool

Did you ever wish you had the same boss-subordinate dynamic as Captain Raymond Holt and Detective Jake Peralta in the hit sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Not everyone can be as bold as Peralta and have the audacity to make fun of your boss. But if you can (we’re not advocating for it, though), might as well pull off “cool, cool, cool” in the most Jake Peralta way possible.

Omsim, sir

stop using NOTED as your reply.
Boss: do you understand?

me: omsim sir.

— ✧･ﾟ: ** : ･ﾟ✧ (@Peachytwice) May 13, 2021

If you wanna project an astig persona in the workplace, you can’t go wrong with tadbalik words like “omsim”. Just make sure you live up to your persona and actually deliver, otherwise, you’re only overpromising and would be branded as “talk-s**t.”

Awit

Typically used in the context of shock or disbelief, “awit” can be your subtle remark to escape awkward situations. Like when your friends ask you to treat them on your birthday but you’re low on money, just say “awit” and they’d understand it just like that. So when you’re on rest day but your boss demands you to come in for work because they are short-staffed, just say “awit” and maybe — just maybe — they’d feel guilty.