Mike Sutton
Dr Mike Sutton is the author of 'Nullius in Verba: Darwin's greatest secret'.
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The X Marks the Spot Myth
Nov. 22, 2014 12:13 pm
X – The X-Marks the Spot Myth
Myth - According to Rees, N. (1996) Cassell’s Dictionary of Word and Phrase origins, at page 271: ‘The actual phrase ‘x marks the spot’ appears to have originated from Chicago newspapers in the early days of gangsterism.’
Fact – The phrase was used in an earlier context and appears to have emerged as a term in scientific papers. It was a phrase later used for numerous location fixings – not just where a crime took place or bodies were found. For example, see: The Journal of the British Dental Association (1907) Volume 28. Page 242:
'… and x marks the spot from which the excluded tooth of succession was extracted..’
This mythbust is taken from Sutton's A-Z of Big Data Busted Myths.
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