Puzzle #353 · May 20, 2026
criss cross
Featured
Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.
Criss-cross started as ‘Christ's cross.’ In the 15th and 16th centuries, English children learned to read from hornbooks—small wooden paddles with pages attached. At the very beginning of the alphabet, teachers placed a cross symbol (✝) to protect the learning that would follow. Before saying their ABCs, children would say the prayer ‘Christ's cross be my speed,’ asking for help and protection.
‘Christ-cross’ slowly got shortened and mangled over 400 years of speech until it became ‘criss-cross.’ The meaning—two things crossing each other in an X pattern—stayed the same, but the religious meaning got buried. Today many school children will learn to sit on the floor with their legs crossed when instructed by the phrase “criss-cross apple sauce”
‘Christ-cross’ slowly got shortened and mangled over 400 years of speech until it became ‘criss-cross.’ The meaning—two things crossing each other in an X pattern—stayed the same, but the religious meaning got buried. Today many school children will learn to sit on the floor with their legs crossed when instructed by the phrase “criss-cross apple sauce”
Puzzle Appearances
The expression criss cross has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #353 on May 20, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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