Per my last email meaning: I already told you

Per my last email means "I've answered this already, so read what I sent". It points back to an earlier message, and the person reading it hears a scolding.

Last updated Oct 12 2026

Per my last email, the file is attached.

What did they mean?

Filed under P jargon.

Why per my last email sounds rude

Why it reads as passive-aggressive

Per my last email reads as passive-aggressive because it sounds polite while telling the reader they didn’t read what you sent. In Britain, 25% of office workers find it annoying, more than any other email phrase.

British office workers annoyed by the runners-up	Share
“Just looping you in”	23%
“Not sure if you saw my email”	22%
“Any updates on this”	18%
“Just a friendly reminder”	17%

Rarer than its reputation

For a phrase this hated, it’s rare. Only about one email in 11,000 contains it. Yet it comes up in five of 100 US tweets about office jargon.

In a million real emails	Times sent
Per my last email	89
Circle back	533

Per my last email meaning in context

Per my last email can point back at a fact, like a date or an attachment, which is plain housekeeping. It can also point back at something the reader missed. That version is a scolding, with the earlier email as proof. Readers in a tense thread assume it’s the second.

In Indian English, people chase a reply with “please revert”, where revert means reply.

When it goes to reply-all

Per my last email does the most damage on a long reply-all, where everyone on the list sees the scolding. If only one person missed the detail, send the reminder to them alone.

Where per my last email comes from

As per, since the 1500s

The phrase is built on “as per”, which means “according to” and is common in business and legal writing. Dictionaries disagree on how old “as per” is. Their dates are 1569, 1665 to 1675, and about 1782.

The meme

Memes about the phrase started on Reddit. The meme archive that tracks it still lists its full history as being researched.

The meme	First posted
Memes built on the phrase	August 2019
The “punching man” version	March 19, 2022

How to reply to per my last email

Nicer ways to say it

To say it nicely, repeat the information and leave out the blame. Our page on how to professionally say what you’re thinking applies the same rule to other blunt thoughts.

“Resending the details below so they’re all in one place.”
“My last email buried this, so here it is on its own.”
“Adding the deadline again, since the thread got long.”
End with a calm sign-off from our funny email sign-offs.

Sending their words back

You can often answer a petty email with the sender’s own words.

If someone scolds you by email for leaving a few minutes early, start counting the minutes you stay late too. Then leave that many minutes early on Friday, and attach their email as the policy you’re following.

In our office card game, Per my last email is a card that cancels the one a coworker just played. Someone else can cancel yours with another Per my last email.

An email thread with per my last email

Subject: RE: RE: RE: Invoice 4471
Hi Dan, ~~per my last email~~ as I already told you (Tuesday, 10:14), the PO number is 88-2041 and the invoice goes to accounts payable, not to me. Pasting both below again. Have a great weekend.

Per my last email in a sentence

Per my last email, the file is attached.
Hi Paulo, per my last email, the meeting moved to 3. I've attached the invite again.
Ngozi typed per my last email in the chat, deleted it, and sent a smiley instead.
Per my last email, and the two before it, the office is closed on Monday, Elodie.

Questions about per my last email

What does "per my last email" mean?

It means "I've told you this before, so go back and read what I sent." The writer is pointing to an earlier message the reader seems to have missed. It also turns up as "as per my previous email".

Is as per my last email passive aggressive?

Usually, because it tells the reader they missed something. Between two people who get along, with the thread open in front of both of them, it can read as a plain reminder.

What's a nicer way to say per my last email?

Give the answer again instead of pointing back to it: "The deadline is the 14th, same as below." On a long thread, say you're moving the detail to the top so it's easy to find.

How to respond to "per my last email"?

Thank them, say you've found it, and do what it asks. Don't respond to the tone. If you still can't find what they mean, quote the part you need and ask one specific question.

What does further to my last email mean?

It means "continuing from my last email", a formal way to add something to it. The phrase is mainly British, and you'll mostly see it in business letters that refer back to an earlier letter or meeting.

Sources

The 10 sources behind this page