crossletter

A crossletter is a term sometimes used to describe a letter or correspondence that crosses another letter in the mail. This occurs when two individuals send messages to each other at roughly the same time, and their letters arrive at their respective destinations simultaneously or very close to each other. The phenomenon is more common in eras before rapid digital communication, when postal services were the primary means of long-distance correspondence.

The concept of a crossletter often implies a degree of coincidence and can sometimes lead to amusing or ironic situations, such as both individuals writing about the same topic or asking a question that the other has already answered in their outgoing letter. In literature and historical accounts, crossletters can serve as plot devices or provide insights into the parallel thoughts or experiences of characters or individuals. The term itself is not a formal or widely recognized linguistic term but rather a descriptive phrase capturing a specific postal event. While less frequent today due to email and instant messaging, the underlying principle of simultaneous, independent communication still exists in various forms.