HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MYMAMA...THE WOMAN WHO COULD TEACH THE WORLD HOW TO LOVE! (xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo) to the (><) power...yes, I am a geek, but I am HER geek! I can't wait to see her this weekend!
Ever wonder why X in xoxoxo is for hug and O is for kiss? When I was little, I used my genius brain to switch it up the other way because the X looked like two arms crossing in a hug and the O looked like an open mouth or puckered lips. Urbandictionary.com says it should be like looking at the two participants in the hug/kiss from the bird's eye view. I can see that for keeping it straight, but I liked the following history info (once again being a bad Ex-English teacher and using Wikipedia):
- Hugs and kisses or xoxo is a term used for expressing affection or good friendship at the end of a written letter, email or SMS text message. The common custom of placing X's on envelopes, notes and at the bottom of letters to mean kisses dates back to the Medieval Ages, when a cross was drawn on documents or letters to mean sincerity and honesty. A kiss was then placed upon the cross, by the signer as a display of their sworn oath. It was also used in early Christian history as much of a display of the same. Since most of the common people were unable to read or write, the 'X' was placed on documents, and a kiss placed upon it as a show of their sincerity, gradually, as it was used so often, the cross was hurriedly drawn and often resembled an 'X'.
- The 'O' is of North American descent, no one really seems to know how it was started. It has been said that when arriving to the US, Jewish immigrants would use an 'O' on documents, not using the sign of the cross, and shop keepers would often use an 'O' when signing documents, in place of an 'X'. Perhaps now it is used as the 'O' being rounded represents arms encircling another, as in an embrace.'X' is used to signify a kiss and 'O' is used to signify a hug. The use of 'X' to signify a kiss dates back to as early as 1765.
Now that's an inventive use of "X" and informative as well.
ReplyDeleteI love that! Thanks for sharing...I learned something new today!
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