To wonder whether it's mostly Brits that put "x" at the end of messages?

[Stamen196]

I was on a Facebook group where a text conversation had been screenshotted, and someone from the US was very confused about what "xxx" meant on the end of every reply. When explained, they said it was only really used in greetings cards over there. I genuinely thought it was a universal thing!

It just occurred to me that people outside the UK probably think British people (not all) just hand out kisses all the time for no reason. It's true for me personally, as I feel like my texts are way too formal without an "x"!). Bad habit I guess.

I have an friend in the US (met her on a parenting message board 20+ years ago) and all the time that I’ve known her she’s signed off all correspondence, be it text, email or written, with XOXO which baffled me at first.

I don't use it - I find it mildly annoying because in most cases it's insincere - unless you are sending greetings/condolences to a close friend it's meaningless. What's wrong with a full stop? Peppering routine messages with kiss symbols is symptomatic of the revolting gushy over-emotional attention-seeking culture that's developed in the UK over the past 20 years ago.

I almost never do it. I think it's bonkers and often inappropriate. Plus you then end up doing it automatically, even for people you really don't know let alone love. Unless you would end the text with 'love', don't end it with 'x'.

That's interesting. I work with a team with 6 diff nationalities. The Spanish & Greek ones start email & texts with 'Dear' , not your name !

Yes it’s only the Brits

A lot of other places use xoxo rather than xx

It reminds me of this type of exchange -

(Office setting)

Colleague A: Could you pass me the stapler please?
Colleague B: Here you are.
Colleague A: Fabulous! You're a star!

The problem is that when we use over-the-top communication styles for mundane interactions, that leaves us with nothing to use when we genuinely want to show love or appreciation.

I don't use it - I find it mildly annoying because in most cases it's insincere - unless you are sending greetings/condolences to a close friend it's meaningless. What's wrong with a full stop? Peppering routine messages with kiss symbols is symptomatic of the revolting gushy over-emotional attention-seeking culture that's developed in the UK over the past 20 years ago

I’m Irish and I second this. I find it insincere, grating and over-familiar. It’s utterly unnecessary. I find it very strange when people finish posts here with an x.

@sammylady37

I don't use it - I find it mildly annoying because in most cases it's insincere - unless you are sending greetings/condolences to a close friend it's meaningless. What's wrong with a full stop? Peppering routine messages with kiss symbols is symptomatic of the revolting gushy over-emotional attention-seeking culture that's developed in the UK over the past 20 years ago

I’m Irish and I second this. I find it insincere, grating and over-familiar. It’s utterly unnecessary. I find it very strange when people finish posts here with an x.

Awwww! xxx.

@sammylady37

I don't use it - I find it mildly annoying because in most cases it's insincere - unless you are sending greetings/condolences to a close friend it's meaningless. What's wrong with a full stop? Peppering routine messages with kiss symbols is symptomatic of the revolting gushy over-emotional attention-seeking culture that's developed in the UK over the past 20 years ago

I’m Irish and I second this. I find it insincere, grating and over-familiar. It’s utterly unnecessary. I find it very strange when people finish posts here with an x.

Sorry hun xxx

Yes it is a British thing. I saw a random youtube video about this actually just the other day, with two Americans talking about how puzzling they found it when they first arrived.

What a great thread!! Never occurred to me it was a British thing!

Also if you use Voiceover accessibility on the phone it reads it out as sex sex, oh dear!

I end with an x, a smiley face or an exclamation mark to show its cheery, 3 xs or a heart if it's a really really good friend! (Irish by the way)

@Pelleas

It reminds me of this type of exchange -

(Office setting)

Colleague A: Could you pass me the stapler please?
Colleague B: Here you are.
Colleague A: Fabulous! You're a star!

The problem is that when we use over-the-top communication styles for mundane interactions, that leaves us with nothing to use when we genuinely want to show love or appreciation.

As someone who isn’t originally British I don’t do that sort of thing, I find it weird a bit condescending. Its one of the many reasons I’m the designated miserable sod in the office!

Us Irish do it too but where I am from people tend to worry theres an issue if no emojis are used 😂 it normally means someone is in bad humour or you are in the bad books. There is no conversation to be had otherwise that can't contain some class of emoji

My US friends finally told me recently they thought XXX was X rated stuff 😂 fail

It depends on context, I wouldn’t do it if I was having a text conversation in real time (or close to) but if I’m sending a one off I probably would. To strangers I don’t unless they do one first, to me it’s not specifically affectionate it’s just an ending. I never use full stops as an ending because it does look annoyed/short to me. Not sure where that came from though! Tried to explain it to my dad and he doesn’t get it haha

I rarely put a X. Occasionally to my DH or DC but I don't see the point of it.

Us Irish do it too but where I am from people tend to worry theres an issue if no emojis are used 😂 it normally means someone is in bad humour or you are in the bad books. There is no conversation to be had otherwise that can't contain some class of emoji

Not my experience as an Irish person at all. If someone in my friendship group ended a text with ‘xxx’ they’d probably be asked if they were drinking or otherwise disinhibited!

@sammylady we do it with only people we are extremely close to but we are defo more emoji based.

In NZ you get a bit of it with family and very close friends, but the whole xxxxxxxxxx
thing after any message and to anyone? That's just British people. You guys are prolific. 😂

There also seems to be a bit of a class element to the x'ing here, but 🤷‍♀️

@Pelleas

It reminds me of this type of exchange -

(Office setting)

Colleague A: Could you pass me the stapler please?
Colleague B: Here you are.
Colleague A: Fabulous! You're a star!

The problem is that when we use over-the-top communication styles for mundane interactions, that leaves us with nothing to use when we genuinely want to show love or appreciation.

Haha, reminds me of British driving - let someone in and you get a thank you wave. A "you're welcome" wave must follow.

I always end my texts with xx and often a couple of ❤️❤️.I have several friends in the US,they never do it,I don’t care what others do,I shall continue.

I only end with x if I actually mean it.

It always looks a bit daft to me when people end posts on MN with x, xxx, xoxo, whatever. Although I suppose xx could be a feminist statement about chromosomes...