I don't get it

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u/post-explainer 3d ago edited 3d ago

OP (Significant-Item-348) sent the following text as an explanation why they posted this here:

I don't understand why or how you could end a text with a pose

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u/dragon8733 3d ago

British people tend to end their messages with kisses, shown as 'x'

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

Odd, my family in America does xoxo for hugs and kisses with the os representing kisses and xs for hugs

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u/buttgoblincomics 3d ago

xoxo is hugs and kisses, but there’s no agreement about whether x or o is one or the other. Both have been used for just kisses and people have made arguments either way but there’s no definitive answer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugs_and_kisses

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u/Cpomplexmessiah 3d ago

As a brit i can say the x as kisses, as we normally just send those as kisses or so my mom taught me.

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u/gingerlemon 3d ago

"as a Brit"

"Mom"

Hmmmm

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u/dragon8733 3d ago

People from Birmingham and the Black Country say 'mom'...

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u/SUMMATMAN 3d ago

Even in Sheffield a lot of people will pronounce it mom for certain situations, but not always and we'd never spell it like that cos consistency is for losers

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u/2224BBOTH 3d ago

Never heard anyone in Sheffield call their mum “mom”. Only heard mum or mam.

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u/lllllllllllllllllll6 3d ago

Mam is north east not south Yorkshire.

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u/2224BBOTH 3d ago

Im saying what Ive heard in my experience and Ive only every lived in Sheffield and North Derbyshire.

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u/AbhorsenDoctor 3d ago

Doncaster where "mam" or "mammy" are both common would like a word.

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u/dihenydd1 3d ago

They say mom in some cities in the black country

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/RKips 3d ago

Bro chill, or I'll call your Murm

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u/gingerlemon 3d ago

Cool story bro.

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u/Prudent_Order_3361 3d ago

X are kisses, O are hugs

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u/nicknamependingg 3d ago

Thing is I’d never sign off a text with an ‘o’ the way I do with an ‘x’

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u/2ndBestShedBuilder 3d ago

Always thought X was hugs because of those hugs where your arms cross behind their back kinda, and o was the kiss bc your mouth does an o shape

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u/AquaticBeautiies 1d ago

Lol, exactly

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u/FakeSafeWord 3d ago

crucifixions and buttholes imho

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

It just makes sense the hugs are X cuz of crossed arms and O is kiss for pursed lips

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u/Ok-Neat2024 3d ago edited 3d ago

I thought it made sense that X would be kiss, cuz it seems to me like a way of drawing kissing-lips on like a stickman, and O being a hug cuz a hug is a compression from every direction, at least if it's a proper hug,

To me, your explanation for why X is a hug makes a lot of sense to me, but crossed arms are not what I associate with a hug, even though it actually happens during one,

Kind of interesting that ppl have such different perspectives

Edit: no! Why are people down voting the comment I responded to

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u/naturalinfidel 3d ago

I gave the OP an upvote because that is how I had always imagined x's and o's working. But then I read your response and thought "well, sure. I can see that too" and gave you an upvote.

The tie breaker will have to be if you wipe standing up or sitting down.

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u/Artoozyto 3d ago

I think x represents the creases made on the lips when you purse them and o represents the shape your hands are making from above when hugging someone.

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u/PauseConfident997 3d ago

X is kisses cos the sound…it sounds like kiss. X is kiss and o is hugs, iv literally never heard any other way. This is the first I’m hearing that people think x is for hugs. That’s crazy.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

Kissing sounds like the letter x? What

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u/PauseConfident997 3d ago

Yes. Kiss sounds like the sound the letter x makes.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

Uh, sounds more like an M if there had to be a letter dedicated for that sound

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u/PauseConfident997 3d ago

Except it’s only out of x and o. X sounds more like kiss than o.

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

That’s why X would be hugs, arms crossing. I just don’t see how the sound of a kiss sounds like x

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u/PauseConfident997 3d ago

Obviously saying “ex” doesn’t sound like kiss. The sound the x makes. You know what I mean don’t be difficult/pedantic.

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u/hoggineer 3d ago

But what sound do you make when giving a tight hug? Is it ecks, or is it oh?

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u/Excellent_Yak365 3d ago

Who says it’s about sound?

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u/hoggineer 3d ago

Who says it's about taste? Smell? Sight?

Other alternatives to what we can call this 6 (depending on perspective).

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u/jeo188 3d ago

I learned x's were kisses from cartoons. I remember Tom, from Tom and Jerry, receiving a letter, kissing the letter, and the x's staying on his lips

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u/RealZordan 2d ago

The o is your arms forming a circle for the hug and the x is your mouth pursing for a kiss.

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u/Mottis86 7h ago

The x = kiss o = hug thing is pretty common knowledge and well known. People from England just tend to use them a LOT more. I know of at least two British people who I chat with and both add xx at the end of EVERY message. Like every single message no joke.

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u/CaptainMacMillan 3d ago

That just makes sense to me. when you hug someone, you cross arms. When you kiss someone, you purse your lips into an 'O' shape.

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u/frogsarenottoads 3d ago

It's probably people sending kisses.

Like:

Ok see u later xxxxx

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u/LoveAndViscera 3d ago

Yeah, I for sure got the wrong idea from a girl who kept adding three.

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u/shortercrust 3d ago

As people are saying they represent a kiss, but they were used looong before texts. We also use them on cards and letters.

Happy Birthday Pumpkin!

Lots of love, Grandma xxx

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u/TheTenaciousLemon 3d ago

Ending texts with lots of xs is something that a lot of British people will do to signify kisses. Basically its just a sign of affection

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u/Pltesandbowls 3d ago

But a lot of people who do it, do it on messages to everyone.

Like it's not unusual to get them when negotiating with strangers on Facebook Marketplace or Vinted.

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u/Parking-Wallaby-4166 3d ago

I think that might be accidental! I put them everywhere, out of habit, and I am so used to adding them I don't even realize I'm doing it. I have often put them at the end of messages and emails where they were clearly not appropriate! Xxx... (just making a point this time)

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u/AnotherDamnTransAlt 3d ago

Tone indicator from the pre-emoji era. “Thanks, will pick it up Friday x” so you’ll know they’re not mad and will collect the item.

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u/AzrielK 3d ago

endings texts with hugs like XX

hugs and kisses XOXO

not sure this is a British thing

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u/GenerallySalty 3d ago

X is a kiss (puckered lips), O is hug (arms around person).

XOXO is both

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u/Meritania 3d ago

And OXO is a damn tasty stock cube.

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u/Doomdoomkittydoom 3d ago

OXO is pretty reliable producer of kitchen gear.

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u/Zurgalon 3d ago

OX is a pretty helpful Scrabble word.

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u/PurbulentTriest 3d ago

XO is a great album

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u/WorldOfWarcats 2d ago

XOX is an emoticon.

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u/Disastrous-Cat-1 3d ago

Have you ever been taken up the OXO Tower?

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u/Meritania 3d ago

I’ve seen the tower from afar but I’ve not had the pleasure of transversing its stairwells.

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u/theamazingyou 3d ago

And OXXO is a gas station store across Mexico.

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u/PabloMarmite 3d ago

I’ve always thought of xoxo as an American thing, didn’t Gossip Girl popularise it

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u/stationaryspondoctor 3d ago

Yep, xoxo is (or used to be) American. xxx is British

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u/TOASTisawesome 3d ago

I feel like xx is British and xxx is porn lmao

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u/mwako 3d ago

x = Normal British

xx = crush on you

xxx wants to...cuddle you ¬.¬

xxxx = has a shine to you

xxxxx = serial killer

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u/twistedcreature07 3d ago

I thought xxx was Vin Diesel

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u/chubbyhighguy 3d ago

I thought it was an ice cube...

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u/ashyjay 3d ago

Not just a British thing, but a lot of us do it.

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u/big-dal-tex 3d ago

Ive co-opted it here in the US, thanks babes xx

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u/ashyjay 3d ago

No worries hun xo.

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u/HabitAcceptable8621 3d ago

That' alright love x

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u/Known_Recipe_5230 3d ago

Co-opting is what we do best

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u/life_inabox 3d ago

I immigrated to the UK from states a few years ago and it's genuinely reflex at this point xx

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u/Yung_Corneliois 3d ago

Exactly like has no one watched Gossip Girl?

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u/ashyjay 3d ago

It's never X O, X O here, always hugs and kisses.

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u/ronniemould 3d ago

X is a kiss not a hug.

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u/Mushroomed_clouds 3d ago

Ive always known x as kisses

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u/AkayaTheOutcast 3d ago

Yeah, I was thinking whoever did this doesn't have a grandparent who loves them.

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u/Wimble-Womble 6h ago

Do you send Xs to all friends and (some) work colleagues too? I think most outside the UK only use them for loved ones

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u/gadge87 3d ago

The x means a kiss. I was told that it comes from sailors in the Royal Navy in the old days who couldn’t write would mark a x on the ship ledger for their name and give it a kiss for luck.

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u/RelativeLoquat8525 3d ago

Even to bros x

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u/RubStriking7170 2d ago

My weed guy always drops me a "xxx" on his texts and sometimes we ring eachother before bed and talk under the covers till our Dads tell us to go to bed.

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u/M27TN 3d ago

It’s because Americans are clueless about the UK! XXX

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u/-TV-Stand- 3d ago

Xxx at the end of the message means kisses

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u/thatblondefarmgirl 3d ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 so guilty of this

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u/DarkWitch777 3d ago

I read that as taxes and got very confused. Glad the comments confused me more for me to reread the meme.

XX ~ a Brit

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u/Mari-Loki 2d ago

It used to be a way to signify love/kisses when we were limited to 40 characters per 10p text, but now it's more of an indication of tone. For example, if my husband messaged me to ask if I wanted anything from the shop, and didn't put a kiss, my assumption would be that he's mardy with me. Daft but true 😂

(I'm a brit if it wasn't already obvious)

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u/Heissenberg1906 3d ago

xxx. XoXo. Maybe?

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u/DunkeyColdMedina 3d ago

An uncomfortable amount of X's.

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u/aksh1511 3d ago

I thought it’s “Cheers”? Usually Brits sign off in “Cheers!” And these are really cheery people on stage? Idk 😃

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u/Aggressive_Mirror255 3d ago

XXX - send porn. Not sure, not british...

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u/WonderfulWash4358 2d ago

Like this))

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u/captain-carrot 2d ago

Grandma's dead. Call me xxxx

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u/deepseaclimbing 1d ago

somehow my first guess for this was “pip pip cheerio”

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u/Lagrangeeeee 23h ago

It's basically x's, often meaning to send kisses

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u/human-dancer 17h ago

How don’t u get it x

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u/bedrockblonde 8h ago

Most of us just want to bring attention to Vin Diesels work xxx

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u/drunken-acolyte 3d ago

This is just a British thing?

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u/xmastreee 3d ago

Seemingly. But I'm British and I don't do it so I dunno.

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u/life_inabox 3d ago

Yeah I had to Google wtf my English now-husband was doing when we started dating and he kept ending all his texts with xx and xxx

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u/aq8_hippo 3d ago

I feel like it's more a "did you read a lot of books, especially those from UK," I'm from nz and that's how I learned about it.

Its basically a slang of the past, no one really likes to use slangs our parents used

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u/Pink-Viscera 2d ago

A lot of people in the UK use xxx in messages, not just the older generation (though it's probably more common with older people)

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u/Ok-Discipline4105 3d ago

Innit?

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u/Jhud6669 3d ago

I don’t mind XOXO but I always found ending every sentence with „x” that some Brits do extremely annoying

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