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Why do people sometimes substitute x for letters in a word?

Examples:

  • Xing
  • Xmas
  • Xfr
Josh Sherick
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4 Answers4

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In those three examples, there are three different, albeit related, reasons:

  • Xing = Crossing. The "X" replaces "Cross" because an X is a cross.

  • Xmas = Christmas. The "X" replaces "Christ" because the cross is a symbol of Jesus and because X (really Chi) is an initial for "Christ" in Greek (Χριστός).

  • Xfr = Transfer. The "X" replaces the prefix "trans-" as it implies a crossing of something.

They are all abbreviations. I would be surprised if the origin of "Xing" wasn't in street signs, where "crossing" would be a long word to print to be able to read at a distance. I've more often seen "Xfr" as "Xfer"; it is used in electronic communications as jargon. I don't know the origin of "Xmas", but some people would have you believe that it's an effort to remove Christ from the holiday. I would guess it is just another general abbreviation.

Alenanno
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wfaulk
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    Probably shouldn't get into the whole "war on Christmas" thing, but I'd like to point out that I remember my mom explaining the X in Xmas to me when I was a little kid back in the early 70's. If its a nefarious plot, its a very old one. – T.E.D. Aug 09 '11 at 22:22
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    Xmas goes way back. Google Books quickly showed this use published in 1791 but quoting a letter from 1719. – mgkrebbs Aug 09 '11 at 23:22
  • And the older X'temmas goes back to at least 1551. – Hugo Dec 20 '11 at 09:08
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    @mgkrebbs: X as an abbreviation for Christ goes even further back than that: 16th century English church registers often wrote "Christopher" as Xtopher or similar. See for example: http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/parishes/parishes.html -- I can't figure out how people add links to comments. It's not taking straight html. – JPmiaou Dec 22 '11 at 05:19
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    @JPmiaou [Words for link]REMOVE_THIS_To_make_the_bracketed_text_a_link_to(THIS_URL). Oh, and +1 for pointing out that Xmas is not a demonic plot. Not to say anything about rampant consumerism... –  May 11 '12 at 15:31
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    Even though I know, intellectually, there is not a demonic plot at work in substituting "Christ" with "X" in the word "Christmas," I still refuse to abbreviate the word as Xmas. I figure, in a literal sort of way, why take Christ out of Christmas? "Am I so lazy that I can't take an extra 2.65 seconds to write the word "Christ?" I ask myself. – rhetorician Jul 19 '13 at 14:16
  • @JPmiaou Or, to put it more simply [this](https://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/parishes/parishes.html) becomes this (be sure to include the https:// part). It's Markdown syntax. As someone who grew up with "xmas" and even "chrimbo" being fairly commonplace, I find the idea that some people have come up with 'demonic plot' conspiracy theories quite hilarious. While Christian influence is very much eroding, the forces at work are undoubtedly human ones, not demonic ones. – Pharap Aug 15 '22 at 17:49
  • @rhetorician While I agree it's unnecessarily lazy in the current era (and probably only continues to exist because it has a kind of novelty value), it made sense at the time it was introduced. Back then paper and ink were much more costly to produce, and text had to be copied by hand, so writers would look for ways to conserve paper and ink, thus giving rise to scribal abbreviations. (One Roman citizen (Tiro, a secretary and former slave) even invented a kind of shorthand around 60 BC.) – Pharap Aug 15 '22 at 18:18
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    @Pharap: Interesting. Thanks for the information and links. Don – rhetorician Aug 16 '22 at 04:04
  • The X in "Xmas" is actually because "Christos" in Greek is spelled "Χριστός". It's literally Jesus's first initial in Greek. The first letter is actually a Greek "chi", not technically an English "x", but it looks pretty much the same. Any claims that this abbreviation is somehow a plot to "take Christ out of Christmas" have more to do with political propaganda than with any slight against Jesus by nonchristians. (Somehow, "Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor" seems no longer in vogue these days, unfortunately.) – Some Guy Jan 05 '23 at 10:46
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Xmas is a specific case of using X to denote Christ, a practice that goes back many centuries. One can look up further details, but essentially it's an initial. Imagine if you were documenting the daily activities of the President of the United States, lots and lots of things Barack Obama said and did. Especially if you were writing it out with a quill pen, you might quickly start abbreviating using B to mean Barack Obama. "Secret service guarding B cautioned. .."

Ray Morris
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  • Many such writing abbreviations were used when everything had to be written out by hand (like modern textspeak). "Y" for "th" is another example (as in "ye olde...") because an obsolete letter representing the sound th looked a bit like a y. – Kate Bunting Jul 12 '16 at 14:35
  • POTUS and SOTUS agree – Tony Stewart EE75 Oct 08 '18 at 21:23
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Several abbreviations including X came to common language from Morse code, most notably TX and RX for "Transmit" and "Receive". Other examples include VX for "Voice", NX for "Noise" and DX for "Distance".

Dmitry Grigoryev
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The X has, for like aeons, been used as a symbol representing the Christian cross. Like in Xmas, meaning the Christian-mas celebration. Other people, like coders, went to use them as a shorting for "crossing". Thus, "Xing"'s meaning would pretty much resemble to an "X-ing", a road cross, like "Will you stay there, or do you want more?" Remember the "Crossroads" movie casting Britney Spears? For more comprehensive information I'd recommend "see above". In case you are more courious, "XX" once stood for "crisscross" an expression that is, at least to my knowledge, pretty much widespread within the trans/a-gender community, while "XXX", until now, is a sweet way to express your love, because you are sooo like criss cross confused by your crush =)

Mascha
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  • The "X" is not just representing the Christian Cross. It's an initial: The X in "Xmas" is actually because "Christos" in Greek is spelled "Χριστός". It's literally Jesus's first initial in Greek. The first letter is actually a Greek "chi", not technically an English "x", but it looks pretty much the same. – Some Guy Jan 05 '23 at 10:48