Why is the phrase 'cross the T's and dot the I's' not 'cross the X's and dot the J's'?

or:Why is the phrase cross the Ts and dot the Is not cross the Xs and dot the Js?or:Pray forgive this transgression, but it seems relevant:I:I is the

or:Why is the phrase 'cross the T's and dot the I's' not 'cross the X's and dot the J's'?


or:Pray forgive this transgression, but it seems relevant:I:I is the first letter of the alphabet, the firstword of the language, the first thought ofthe mind, the first object of affection. Ingrammar it is a pronoun of the first personand singular number. Its plural is said tobe We, but how there can be more than onemyself is doubtless clearer to the grammariansthan it is to the author of this incomparabledictionary. Conception of two myselvesis difficult, but fine. The frank yetgraceful use of \"I\" distinguishes a goodwriter from a bad; the latter carries it withthe manner of a thief trying to cloak hisloot.X:X in our alphabet being a needless letter hasan added invincibility to the attacks of thespelling reformers, and like them, willdoubtless last as long as the language. X isthe sacred symbol of ten dollars, and in suchwords as Xmas, Xn, etc., stands for Christ,not, as is popularly supposed, because itrepresents a cross, but because the correspondingletter in the Greek alphabet is theinitial of his name - \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2. If it representeda cross it would stand for St. Andrew,who \"testified\" upon one of that shape. Inthe algebra of psychology x stands forWoman's mind. Words beginning with Xare Grecian and will not be defined in thisstandard English dictionary.

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