# Does this character have a name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124 "2015-08-06T02:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/1 "2015-08-06T02:23:14Z")
From the wingdings font: z (equivalent to keystroke ‘z’) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/2 "2015-08-06T02:28:37Z")
[z 122 0x7A command](http://www.alanwood.net/demos/wingdings.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/3 "2015-08-06T02:32:56Z")
That cite (and thanks, it looks interesting) says the character could mean either “command” or “place of interest sign”. “Command” I can picture being a relatively recent definition (it’s on the keyboards of Macintoshes and related computers, I believe, and used in combination with other characters to perform various functions), and “place of interest sign” might be for the character’s use on printed and electronic maps, but is there a longer-established name? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/4 "2015-08-06T02:46:54Z")
Wikipedia calls it a “looped square”: > **[Looped square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looped_square)** > > The looped square (⌘), also known as Saint John's Arms, Saint Hannes cross (related to Swedish sankthanskors, Danish johanneskors, and Finnish hannunvaakuna), and as the command-key symbol due to its use on the command key on Apple computer keyboards, is a symbol consisting of a square with outward pointing loops at its corners. It is referred to by this name, for example, in works regarding the Mississippian culture (approximately 800 CE to 1600 CE). It is also known as the place of interest ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/5 "2015-08-06T02:46:54Z")
‘Place of interest’ is the name for the Unicode character, not that it helps. Are you looking for a generic name for that figure? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/6 "2015-08-06T02:51:04Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Wikipedia calls it a “looped square”: > > [Looped square - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looped_square) There ya go. Aka Saint John’s Arms or Saint Hannes cross. [More about the wingdings symbols](http://www.ehow.com/info_8529608_meanings-wingdings-characters.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/7 "2015-08-06T03:07:41Z")
Thanks, that link leads to “Bowen knot”, which I guess will do. I’ve been intermittently obsessed with this character since childhood (and occasionally find myself doodling it when bored during a lecture or presentation). I think it stems from the stylized letter “L” worn by Penny Marshall in episodes of _Laverne and Shirley_ that I watched in childhood. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/8 "2015-08-06T03:25:17Z")
It’s one of those figures you can draw without lifting the pen from the paper or going over other lines. I used to doodle a lot of those. ---
**Author:** ![fridolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@fridolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fridolph)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/9 "2015-08-06T03:35:01Z")
It is only font design that included in computer ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-character-have-a-name/727124/10 "2015-08-06T04:11:03Z")
The wiki article on the Command Key gives more details about how a Scandinavian road-sign symbol for “Place of interest” ended up on the Mac keyboard. [Command key - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key)