1<?xml version="1.0"?> 2<!DOCTYPE package PUBLIC "+//ISBN 0-9673008-1-9//DTD OEB 1.0 Package//EN" 3 "http://openebook.org/dtds/oeb-1.0/oebdoc1.dtd"> 4<html> 5<head> 6<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/x-oeb1-document; charset=utf-8" /> 7<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/x-oeb1-css" href="devil.css" /> 8<title>The Devil’s Dictionary: X</title> 9</head> 10<body lang="en-US"> 11 12 13<h1>X</h1> 14 15<p class="firstpara">X in our alphabet being a needless letter has an added invincibility to the attacks of the 16spelling reformers, and like them, will doubtless last as long as the language. 17X is the sacred symbol of ten dollars, and in such words as Xmas, Xn, etc., 18stands for Christ, not, as is popular supposed, because it represents a cross, 19but because the corresponding letter in the Greek alphabet is the initial of 20his name—<i>Xristos</i>. If it represented a cross it would stand for St. Andrew, who “testified” upon one of 21that shape. In the algebra of psychology x stands for Woman’s mind. Words 22beginning with X are Grecian and will not be defined in this standard English dictionary.</p> 23 24</body> 25</html>