X marks the spot in treasure maps showing the location of the buried bounty. These treasure maps were a staple in pirate stories.
Béria Lima [see page for license], via Wikimedia CommonsAnd come election time, don’t choose your candidate in the same way? An X beside their name kept within the confines of the circle, lest you spoil your ballot?
By D’Arcy Norman from Calgary, Canada (democracy Uploaded by Skeezix1000) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where else have you seen X marks the spot?
My Scottish roots and writing by Melanie Robertson-King
