What's the order/meaning of XOXOXOXO?

i've grown up with X being kiss and O being hugs, even though talking about it out loud as "hugs and kisses"

[direct copy paste below from site]

"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"

Wrong.

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.

:)

Xoxoxoxo

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RE:

What's the order/meaning of XOXOXOXO?

I was under the impression that it meant "Hugs and Kisses" in that order. Yesterday someone told me they thought the Xs were the kisses...which would be backwards....Who knows the order for 100% sure? Also, for 10 points, how did this tradition start of writing XOXOXO on the bottom of...

X is hugs because the 2 lines in the X represent arms hugging

O is kisses because that's how your lips look like when you pucker for a kiss

Most sources say that Hugs and Kisses are in the order of OXOX. O meaning hugs and X meaning kisses. But there are some who believe that it is reverse X for hugs representing the arms and O for kisses representing the shape of the lips. But it can be used either way you want to use it. For history of Hugs and Kisses here is a site that tells you about the history of it. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=45...

The x represents the chicken and the O represents the egg. I think.

But I think the X is the wrinkles in your mouth when you pucker up to kiss and the O is the circle of arms when you hug.

X - Hugs

O - Kisses.

X - If you look closely, looks like 2 people crossing over to hug each other.

O - Looks like a mouth, so that represents kisses.

Hope this helps

XOXOXOXOXOXO

X = kiss ( X kinda looks like puckered lips)

O = hug (O shape of arms wrapped around someone)

Yeah, if it were in order it'd be oxoxo, but it doesn't sound as good(=