Why does "O" stand for a hug and "X" stand for a kiss?

Answer 1

O- REPRESENTS YOUR ARMS AROUND SOMEONE
X- REPRESENTS YOUR LIPS PUCKERED

Answer 2

The history of "X" is a bit clearer than that of "O"

There is an ancient tradition of illiterate or semi-literate people signing documents by making an "X". In medieval times the X had heightened meaning because it was also interpeted as a sign of the cross and of the name "Christ" (because the Greek letter with which this word begins looks like "X"). Partly because of this religious significance the practice grew up of kissing the document on the "X" as a sign of a solemn pledge or oath.

The association of "X" with the kiss might have been reinforced by the idea that the sign itself looked like a simple drawing of two mouths meeting in a kiss.

One other fascinating possibility is based on the NAME of "X" -- the letter X in spanish is named "equis" which has the same pronunciation that "a kiss". Even if this not the origin of the association, it could not help but strenghen it. (Frankly, it's in some ways more logical than the idea that a practice of "kissing the X" resulting in X standing FOR a kiss. If there were better documentary evidence, esp showing how a basically SPANISH explanation ended up affecting ENGLISH usage, I'd be tempted to go with this explanation.)

The use of "O" for a hug is less certain, but the varous explanations all relate it to its PAIRING with X. Some say that Jews would sign with an "O" instead of the Christian "X" (though that itself would not quite explain the association with "hug"). Others see the pairing of X and O in tic-tac-toe as the origin. Of course, both of these raise the question of why "O" would be chosen to pair with X. No doubt the ultimate explanation is the very simple one that the "O" or a circle is a very basic shape that anyone can quickly and roughly draw.

At any rate, from this PAIRING of "O" with "X" it is not surprising that the association of the latter with a kiss would one day result in re-interpreting the other member of the pair in a related way. The fact that a hug is a natural pair with a kiss, and that the symbol might ALSO be thought of as a drawing of an actual hug (arms wrapped around another person) just as X came to be thought of as a picture of lips kissing, made it all the easier.

Answer 3

O stands for hugs and X stands for kiss because X represents a pair of puckered lips and O represents a person wrapping their arms around someone.

Answer 4

IF YOU CAN PICTURE THIS: when you hug, you're arms make like an O around the one you hug
when you kiss, your lips come to a point, your foreheads apart making like an X
make sense?

Answer 5

o 's stands for kisses and x's stands for hugs alright get got it good get it straight not twisted

Answer 6

maybe because when u hug you wrap your arms around each other to form a closure hence O, and when you kiss you meet each others lips hence > < which equals X. lol, am i right???

Answer 7

I guess it the X is for the lips..and O is for hugs, cuz it's....just like that?

Answer 8

O is like a circle of arms around you and X is for x-rated

Answer 9

I must agree with Fairy Matilda, as she knows the scoop. If I could I would OXOXOXOXO her. She is as smart as an X

Answer 10

I see it as x is sexy or x rated, and O just kind of goes along with it, like when you play x and o's.

Answer 11

Cause theres so many morons out there that cant spell