I consider myself told and informed.

I strongly suspect though that many people using Xmas are also unaware of
the Greek origin of the X and use Xmas as a commercial convenience that
omits Christ from Christmas !!

I'm sure you'd agree Terry?



"Terry D" wrote in message
...
PJO wrote:
Why "Xmas" not "Christmas"?

Why are some people so damn lazy when writing words?!

I quote from the The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English
Language:
Fourth Edition, 2000:

SYLLABICATION: X·mas

PRONUNCIATION: krsms, ksms

NOUN: Christmas.

ETYMOLOGY: From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrstos,
Christ. See Christ.

USAGE NOTE: Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious
writing,
where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , "Christ." In
this
use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people
unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as
an
informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term
Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ
from Christmas.

Terry D.