Do you put an 'x' on the end of everything?

[DM1209]

I'm having a bit of a reshuffle and so am currently looking for a new cleaner, new term time child care and in talks with some Decorators for the summer.

Every single person I have gotten in touch with for professional purposes has responded to my message with 'x's on the end and used terms of endearment such as 'hun'. When did this become a thing?

Honestly I'm not a grouchy bitch at all and all of my friends and family get inundated with 'x's, terms of endearment and lots of love from me. However, I would never, ever be so unprofessional with someone engaging my services (not that I have any services to offer), an acquaintance or a colleague.

Do you do this? If so why? It then makes me feel like I'm coming across as cold and or stuck up by just signing off with my name, I still don't add any 'x' at the end of my message though.

Why do people do this with strangers? And I know it's not the end of the world or a real problem, I just want to know.

Thank you for reading x

I put an 'x' for family and good friends if they do it first. I cannot tolerate 'hun', makes me feel enraged inside. And no, would never use x or any term of endearment to anyone on a professional level. I once had to go to a meeting with my company's firm of solicitors and most of the people I went with were on good terms with them, although I'd never met them. I was sent into a disgusted spiral of panic when they all started kissing cheeks to say hello. One of them stopped in for a kiss but I just managed to step back, grab her hand and manically shake it. Who the hell kisses each other at work meetings??? WEIRD.

Oh god i hate this! I know quite a few people who use x to replace a full stop too and it drives me crazy

Hi how you doing x fancy a coffee later ? X just got to to the shops and the vets first x

Argh!!

No.

Plus I agree, that’s far from professional and I wouldn’t employ anyone who text like that.

Oh and I am grouchy.

Even the way people post on here makes me cringe. It’s almost like half of posters have had no education at all.

@PrincessConsuelaBananahamm0ck, this is me!!!! At least you do the manic handshake! I have seen people, really outwardly professional people leave bathrooms having not washed their hands, pick their teeth, dig around in their nose, sneeze in their hands!!!!!

The list goes on, I try to look so busy that I'm unable to shake hands and throw a greeting out from across the room.

I got an x from my team leader today. Not an accident as it's not the first or even second time!

I have never been an x person. I never use it professionally and I certainly never do it to friends and family.
If I wouldn't kiss them in real life they don't get them. So it's only my DH that gets them! I've had many people over the years ask if I'm ok with them as I don't put x back or multiple x etc.
The only person who calls me hun is my dh ex. So I have her measure lol!
However I am a very guilty over user of lol and lmao. Not sure why but it's a complete force of habit.
Cheers hun xxx

I only do it with people I would normally kiss, or at least hug. Or sometimes when I want to show affection or warmth.

This would really annoy me too. I've also had the "x" at the end of texts but only from family members. My DH once called me "hun" and I said if he ever used that term to refer to me again, I'd leave him! Urgh. Also text speak- it gives me the rage when anyone over the age of 11 uses it 😤

It is a mark of endearment because it represents a kiss - you know, like on birthday cards, letters, etc?

I can't help but imagine it as the person kissing the recipient's cheek/giving a hug to round off the communication - which makes absolute sense if it's between close friends, partners or family, or (vv occasionally) if you're feeling especially sympathetic towards a stranger/acquaintance who is clearly in some distress.

But it means that people who use it constantly, especially mid flow, I can't help but imagine them stopping in the middle of the sentence to offer up a random kiss and it just is SO weird.

It affects my "mental voice" for the person as well - I tend to find myself reading messages with random kisses/lols/huns in the voices of the popular but not-very-bright crowd from school certain spelling/grammar errors invoke this as well.

It is a mark of endearment because it represents a kiss - you know, like on birthday cards, letters, etc?

I must have completely missed the memo about x=kiss. Never used it that way. Not on cards, texts, or any other written communication.

So to me, x doesn’t = kiss. It’s just a random letter.

I don’t even use them with my husband!

My best friend puts xox at the end of everything. Her Facebook status, texts to her boss, professional emails... It’s very odd.

"Before I respond, I get that there are two kisses, but why is one larger than the others? Is it open-mouthed or are there tongues, ...or both?

It's all happening so fast, I was interested in cleaning and now you're sending me kisses. I need some time to process this, and some space. Love you, too. Xx"

This is entirely new to me, and I've never encountered it. Mind you, it took me years to get over Australians immediately emailing me by my first name, when they'd never met me.

So to me, x doesn’t = kiss. It’s just a random letter

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugs_and_kisses

It's all happening so fast, I was interested in cleaning and now you're sending me kisses. I need some time to process this, and some space. Love you, too. Xx"

The smaller "x" is because the word-processing system is recognising as a word, so makes the second letter lower case. It does the same with "OK", turning it into "Ok". Which s not OK.

if you're feeling especially sympathetic towards a stranger/acquaintance who is clearly in some distress.

Yes.
But never, never EVER in a professional context. Am so weirded out & astonished at the PP whose manager hauled her over the coals demanding an x! Aberrent control freak, no no no!!!

Laters, hunz ;)

I refer to everyone I know as Sugar Tits in my text messages.

God no. People seem to use it like punctuation. Why?

i put a couple of x’s for my friends and family, but would never put any to someone i was communicating with in a professional manner. my sister and i though always end messages with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx so there have been a few times when i’ve forgotten who i’m texting and an unsuspecting person gets a stream of kisses 😂

I find it really annoying. I don't mind if we're already doing business together and have a friendly relationship, but it feels a bit forced and sickly when we are strangers.

It's so unprofessional to use it with colleagues. I think it crosses a professional boundary and can be awkward for the recipient. And then there's the question of whether you have to treat everyone equally and put an 'x' for everyone. Realistically though, I imagine I'd be reprimanded if I started using an 'x' or emojis in work emails, and rightly so.

I never use it for strangers, but always do for friends and personal acquaintances. Occassionaly use it for my closest professional acquintances.

OMG PM me, luv you babZ

I only 'x' people that I would hug in real life, and as I'm not much of a hugger that means close family and very close friends. My manager at work always uses x and although she is lovely I can't bring myself to do it back.

I must have completely missed the memo about x=kiss. Never used it that way. Not on cards, texts, or any other written communication.

Really? This astounds me, unless you grew up in a different culture perhaps? I'm talking about this kind of thing for context, it's even present on really old letters I've seen before.

Only to some people. If they don't, I don't. It doesn't really matter whether I'm close to them or not. A manager I hated always got an x and my sports massage therapist always gets xx because that's what he puts. I just take my lead from them.

One X for friends, 3 for my children...nobody gets 2 (not sure who I'm saving them for 🤷‍♀️) Professionally...erm...no!

If ANYONE ever 'huns' me they are instantly blocked from my life...I just can't stand this! If you're a 'hun-er'...just stop! It's awful!!