All the best: Well if they intend to

Well if they intend to mean ' the best to all of you', they should either write simply that, or else 'We wish you all , the best '. Bold type is no substitute for proper punctuation. Nevertheless, I've seen " best " as a closing. I think of it as an abbreviation of " all the best ." Never seen "bests," though. If someone has too little time or concern to spell out the closing they mean - Sometimes at the end of a phone conversation the other person says " all the best ". I know what it means, but, How should I answer it? Should I say " all the best " back, or "same" or "bye", or what is the most typical answer? Thanks No. Both " best of luck" and "good luck" are conventional phrases and mean the same thing. After all , it would be odd if saying "good luck" meant that I wish you some luck but less than the best . However, they are usually used differently. "Good luck" stands on its own and is directed at the person you are talking or writing to (it is used in much the same way as an imperative, although of course it isn't a verb), whereas " the best of luck" needs the person you are wishing luck on to be ...