XXXX
or xxxx [eks-eks-eks-eks] or [fohr eks] or [kis kis kis kis]
What does XXXX mean?
In letters and text messagesxxxx symbolizes a series of kissesused as an affectionate sign-off or goodbye.
It’s sometimes used to censor vulgar words or as filler text for unknown characters.
Where does XXXX come from?
The origin of xxxx to represent kisses is linked to XOXOadded at the end of letters and other messages to indicate “kisses and hugs,” with X standing for kiss and Ohug. This practice is said to date back to the Middle Ageswith X signed to represent the Christian cross at the of the documentwhich the signer then apparently sealed with a kiss as a show of sincerity.
In many culturesnotably in Europe and Latin Americait’s common to greet and part with friends and loved ones with a light kiss or kisses on the cheek. The custom may help explain why signing off a message with an XXXor XXXX is more common among people from those parts of the world.
XXXX started showing up online in the 1980searned entry on Urban Dictionary in 2003and spread with the rise of social media and text/instant messaging in the 2000s.
Many Australiansmeanwhileknow XXXX as a brand of beer brewed in Brisbane by Castlemaine Brewers. A 1980s advertisement for the beer ran the slogan: “Australians won’t give a XXXX for any other lager,” with the XXXX at once using X as an industry convention denoting ale strength and X as a stand in for an unknown or censored item. The ad helped popularize XXXX as a humorous replacement for a four-letter word (e.g.fuck).
Examples of XXXX
I don’t give a flying xxxx. If I go to the states I pay $14 to enter.
Happy bday you oblivious little bean @kelseyannalee_ ❤️ hope you have a brill daylots of love xxxx
Anyone else ever get spam msgs on their cell phones? 2 days in a row now that I get one eg: your pin is xxxx txt xxxxx to find your crush!!
Who uses XXXX?
XXXX is used globallyprimarily in electronic communications like text messages and emailsto represent kisses ormore generallymark an affectionatelovinggoodbye.
In the English-speaking worldXXXX is more prevalent (and especially as XX) in the UKAustraliaand Ireland than in the US and Canada. While not necessarily romanticit is familiar and often familialinappropriate in professional contexts.
People tend to avoid XXX when communicating “kisses,” as the letters are associated with pornography. SometimesXXXX can signify pornographic content that bills itself as extra-explicit.
Some users pronounce XXXX as “kiss kiss kiss kiss.”
XXXX can also be a form of censorshipreplacing four-letter swear words in online communities with policies against swearing. It’s also sometimes used to redact unoffensive textsuch as the last four digits of phone numbers (mostly in the US and Canada) or PIN numbers.
NOTE
This is not meant to be a formal definition of XXXX like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of XXXX that will help our users expand their word mastery.
