X marks the spot

X marks the spot idiom
This mark shows the location, as in On the postcard, X marks the spot where we picked blueberries. Although the use of a cross or X is probably much older, this term was first recorded in 1813.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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