DEAR ABBY: We recently attended the wedding of a grandson of a very dear friend, and sent the couple a lovely gift of china and silver. Imagine our surprise when we received the following thank-you note, which I'm enclosing (I've changed the names):
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Jones,
"Thanks so much for the beautiful 5PPS and for 5PCP1S. That was very kind of you. Love, Sue and George"
My husband thinks we ought to write Sue and George and ask them what "5PPS" and "5PCP1S" mean, so we can be sure they received the lovely place settings we sent them.
We'd have to ask our friends for the couple's address, and I'd hate to have to tell them about the note. Is this format acceptable nowadays or are we completely out of step? -- DUMBFOUNDED IN NORTH TEXAS
DEAR DUMBFOUNDED: I, too, was dumbfounded, so I called the department store from which you purchased the gift. "5PPS" and "5PCP1S" are the manufacturer's stock codes for the silver and china place settings you sent. I'm sure your gift was received, but whether the carton had been opened and the contents examined at the time the thank-you note was written is debatable.
Don't embarrass the grandparents by calling the note to their attention. But let's hope the couple gain some experience in properly expressing their appreciation before it's time to send them a baby gift.