Question posted by Kim C. on my Facebook’s Gateway to the Forum (August 29, 2014):
Hi, sir. Good evening again. May I refer to you an office debate that has been going on for two days now. It is on which is proper—“Compliments of the Chief of Staff” or “Compliments from the Chief of Staff.”
My reply to Kim C.:
Kim, that debate in your office will go on and on unresolved unless the opposing sides recognize that those two expressions, both of which are proper and grammatically correct, are actually using the noun “compliments” in a different sense.
In the phrase “Compliments from the Chief of Staff,” the sense of “compliments” is that of praise or admiration being extended by the Chief of Staff to someone. That phrase is rarely used on a stand-alone basis; it almost always forms part of a statement like, say, “The general received profuse compliments from the Chief of Staff for his successful tour of duty as task force commander.” The sense here is of an enormous compliment—praise or admiration, not a gift or token—given to the general by the Chief of Staff.
On the other hand, the “Compliments of the Chief of Staff” is a formal message usually attached to a particular item, often a gift, being given free by the Chief of Staff to someone as a token of appreciation or expression of praise. It is normally a stand-alone, indirect pro forma message on a card that accompanies the gift or token of appreciation. The sense of the message is that the item is being given free with the Chief of Staff’s appreciation or praise.
Once your officemates recognize this distinction between those two expressions, I’m sure they will achieve immediate closure on that debate.
