I personally enjoy the use of "x" as a sub for other letters... but as a child I was always a bit puzzled by the "Deer XING" signs. http://www.petsignsplus.com/oswildlife/odeer.html In my head I was always thinking it sounds like "Deer ZING!" And then one day I thought to myself... Deer ZING? That makes no sense. dang, I think it was not helpful to skip my lunch break. Erika >And to think I just looked up the history of "Xmas" > >http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/11/messages/939.html > >(started from a comment I made to a coworker about how I despise the use >of "thanx" --it just kills me) > >sgd --