A Language Ponderance: Shoot(ing) (an) E-mail

[gnomi]

autotruezone asked me to ponder the phrase "shoot [him/her/them] [an] e-mail." Now, first, I have to say that I *always* hyphenate e-mail. Also, I still twitch a little bit at "an e-mail," since I'd never say "I sent him a mail" if I dropped a paper letter in the mailbox, but I think I'm losing that one. I continue to fight that one, even though I know it's likely futile. But the verb, "to shoot," is what interested autotruezone and what I've been thinking most about in this construct.

In my experience, one "shoots" a one- or two-line e-mail message (something along the line of "Where's that review you promised me?" or "Brunch is at 11:30; please set four extra places because the Cohens are bringing the Bagels and the Bialis." For longer items, I use "send," and I don't think I'm in the minority on that (I honestly can't think of any other verb to use in formal communication).

So now I open it to you all -- do you "shoot" people e-mail? Do you differentiate the verb for longer vs. shorter messages?

Comments

[cellio]

I don't tend to shoot messages, but if I did it would mean I was sending short ones speedily.

I find "an email" (or "an e-mail") horribly wrong and illogical, and I am sad that the press uses it routinely. (The press didn't start it, but where the press goes the masses follow, when it comes to usage.) I use the same argument you do -- I wouldn't send someone "a mail", so why does it make sense to send "an email"? We're doomed, though; we've lost this one. But I persist in the usage I can control, anyway.