in XOXO does X stand for the kiss or hug?

X=kiss

O=hugs

X=kisses

O=hugs

Kiss

The first mention in literature of XXX for kisses at the bottom of a letter was in 1901, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The X itself is very old.

The custom goes back to the early Christian era, when a cross mark or "X" was the same as a sworn oath. The cross referred to the cross of Calvary and the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos.

Even as little as a hundred and fifty years ago, not many people could read or write. The "X" at the bottom of a document took the place of a signature. They would kiss the "X" as a crucifix or bible was kissed to emphasize the importance of the mark. It was this practice that lead to the "X" representing a kiss.

There isn't much known about the beginnings of the "O". It is a North American custom. The "O" represents the arms in a circle around another person. Arms crossed in front of you do not mean the "X" as a hug! The "O" is the hug.

In "The Joys of Yiddish" by Leo Rosten, it is noted that illiterate immigrants (or those who did not know Roman-English letters) would generally sign entry forms with an "X" but Jews preferred an "O" to avoid making something that looked like a cross. Also, shopkeepers and salesmen would similarly sign receipts with a circle. Could this be the origin of the "O"?

Or could it have developed from the game of tic tac toe, where one player uses the "X" and another the "O", leading people to think that the "O" was the hug, as the "X" is the kiss.

Back in the day when people were illiterate they would write an X and kiss it as their signature. Thats where xoxo comes from. X is a kiss because it is the signature of a person and 0 is a hug because it means unity (two people combining their bodies to make a circle.

X is the kiss, and O is the Hug

The "X" in the x's and o' sentiment actually used to be a "K". (More on this in a moment.) The "O" part is easy since it represents the "arms" of the hugger, joined behind your back.

The "K" part came from the sentiment "SWAK", or Sealed With A Kiss. Written on the backs of envelopes to a husband, wife, or lover.

When boxing got popular, the term "KO" came into use to mean a Knock Out. Which meant hitting someone hard enough to make them pass out. Not exactly the sentiment you want to get across!

So the "K", became an "X" because they look alike, and still got the message received in the manner it was sent. Some wag said the the "X" on it's side looks a little like a pair of lips. And if you look at how we use :) (sideways, a smile) and other, older, emoticons it's quite possibly true! Ciao!

The reason they say it "backwards" is you, under normal conditions, will hug someone before you try to kiss them. If they "stiffen" up on you, then you know a kiss will not be welcome. You hope to win them over with the "written" kiss first.

Hugs And Kisses Xo

Kisses and hugs

The words hugs and kisses go together in the way that similar grouping occur (like "the 3 little pigs" not "the little 3 pigs") while there is a different visual grouping that puts the X in front of the O. Therefore they don't match up since one is going by language traditions, and the other is going by visual traditions.