# How do you draw your 8s? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190 "2003-12-15T21:14:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/1 "2003-12-15T21:14:20Z")
I draw an 8 by drawing two 'o’s one on top of the other. (Let’s call it a ‘snowman 8’) Everyone else I’ve ever met (who’s 8s I’ve looked at) draws it in one continuous crossover pattern (like the simplest type of scalectrix track. Let’s call it the scalectrix 8) How do you draw your 8s? Are you right, or left handed? (which one, not “yes, I am right or left handed”) And is this the most mundane pointless poll you’ve ever seen? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/2 "2003-12-15T21:19:41Z")
Left-handed, race track. I start from the top right, and make a downward left diagonal, which winds up straighter than the return path, which has an S curve to it. The line end meets up with the beginning at ninety degrees, so if I’m not exact (which is usually the case) there’s either a gap or a tiny serif. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/3 "2003-12-15T21:22:36Z")
1. Scalectrix version. Starts at the top/right of the 8, and is usually lopsided and collapsing to the right 2. Right 3)No, I thought the TP wiping thread was far worse. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/4 "2003-12-15T21:41:55Z")
Right handed, snowman 8. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/5 "2003-12-15T21:45:14Z")
Snowman 8’s. I do all my #'s just like a keyboard, pointy topped 4’s, single motion 9’s…I even do my 1"s like this. And that slashy thing thru the 0…I’m there. I’m just a wild man. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/6 "2003-12-15T22:00:39Z")
1)Snowman 8 2)Right-handed 3)No, but keep working on it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/7 "2003-12-15T22:09:46Z")
Right-handed scalectrix version. I drew snowman 8s until kindergarten, where I was informed that making two circles was “the baby way” to do things - by a teacher, no less. Wonderful people. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/8 "2003-12-15T22:10:22Z")
1. Race track 8s 2. Right handed 3. And I cross my 7s too ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/9 "2003-12-15T22:16:26Z")
I’m a snowman maker. I used to racetrack years ago but, somehow, engineering school drove me away from it. It also got me crossing my "Z"s. Right-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/10 "2003-12-15T22:17:42Z")
I also cross my 7s and Zs, but that was a byproduct of French class. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Ink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@White\_Ink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Ink)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/11 "2003-12-15T22:23:24Z")
1. both 2. both (but usually right) 3. cross 7 4. I’ve seen more pointless ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/12 "2003-12-15T22:31:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by roadrunner70 \* > \*\*Snowman 8’s. > > I do all my #'s just like a keyboard, pointy topped 4’s, single motion 9’s…I even do my 1"s like this. > > And that slashy thing thru the 0…I’m there. > > I’m just a wild man. \*\* I hate you. (kidding). I’ve been trying to do that, but I never remember to slash my 0s, my 9s look like demented baloons, and my 4s look like 9s. I do, however, make snowmen 8s and cross my 7s and Zs. Right-handed, but pretty much only in batting and writing. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/13 "2003-12-15T22:51:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace309 \* > I drew snowman 8s until kindergarten, where I was informed that making two circles was “the baby way” to do things - by a teacher, no less. The same thing happened to me! I’m not sure if it was kindergarten, but I do remember a teacher telling me to do it the racetrack way. Then one day my dad saw me draw an 8 and put me in my place. I’ve been making snowmen ever since. I’m right handed, and cross my 7’s and Z’s. I started crossing my 0’s but had to stop when I took a stats course. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/14 "2003-12-15T22:54:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I draw an 8 by drawing two 'o’s one on top of the other. (Let’s call it a ‘snowman 8’) > > Everyone else I’ve ever met (who’s 8s I’ve looked at) draws it in one continuous crossover pattern (like the simplest type of scalectrix track. Let’s call it the scalectrix 8) > > How do you draw your 8s? \*\* > > What is this “drawing” you speak of? > > **Are you right, or left handed?** > > Yes, I am right or left handed > > \*\* (which one, not “yes, I am right or left handed”) \*\* > > How did you do that? Actually, I’m ambi. I write right like a lefty and left like a preschooler. > > \*\*And is this the most mundane pointless poll you’ve ever seen? \*\* > > Done any predictions lately? 🙂 Right: Racetrack Left: Snowperson ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/15 "2003-12-15T23:35:01Z")
Right handed, racetrack style, basically like drawing an S and finishing it off with an upwards diagonal to the right. 7s crossed too. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/16 "2003-12-15T23:39:16Z")
1. racetrack 8 2. right handed 3. cross my 7s and Zs One thing this thread made me think of is that I could not draw a star until I was like 12 or 13 ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/17 "2003-12-16T00:32:18Z")
1 - Race track 8 (I basically make an S and then do a straight diagonal slash to connect the bottom left and top right). 2 - Right-handed 3 - Cross my 7s and Zs (good ole’ university math classes, where I used to not cross them, and messed up three problems confusing my Z with a 2 and a 7 with an L [also why lower case Ls are written in a cursive loop in my math problems]). 4 - Sometimes put a slash through my zeros. It depends (1 - slash through zeros if I’m writing a number/letter combo so I don’t mix it up with an O, 2 - slash through zeros if I’m writing out assembly code, 3 - NO slash through zeros if I’m doing math problems, because I have a hard enough time keeping my phis and thetas straight!) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/18 "2003-12-16T00:32:57Z")
Right-handed. Snowman 8, top circle first. I also make my 4’s with a pointy top, two separate lines. And my 5’s are two separate lines as well: bottom part first (a shape like that curlicue under a C in French, whatever it’s called), lift pen, add crossbar on top. I cross my 7’s, Z’s, and my zeroes. (Note: I don’t slash my zeroes like a good techie; I _cross_ them. They look like thetas.) I also make my lower-case “a” with the top thingie. Let’s see if I can describe this: I used to start at top right, arc back down to the left, swing around to the right along the bottom and back up to my starting point, and then go straight down. A few years ago, I made a conscious decision to retrain myself to make the letter differently, to see how hard it would be. Took me a couple of months to get into the habit, but now I start at top left, move across to the right, arc down sharply, stop at the bottom right, and make a tight loop back up to the left and down and around to the lower right. I’m trying to teach myself to make my lower-case g’s look typographic (a circle above a slightly flattened circle below the baseline, joined by a little line, with the little flair at top left optional), but I haven’t been able to work out a quick and consistent way of making the letter so the habit hasn’t stuck yet. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/19 "2003-12-16T00:50:11Z")
**Belrix** > [@](#): > > I used to racetrack years ago but, somehow, engineering school drove me away from it. It also got me crossing my "Z"s. Me too! Drastically changed my handwriting in engineering school to make it more legible. I also cross my 7’s which drives my current boss nuts when he checks my calcs… right-handed ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190/20 "2003-12-16T01:11:36Z")
I make a racetrack style 8. I thought I used the draw an ‘s’ technique, since this is what I was taught (when I was younger, probably by my mother). Some experimenting showed, however, that I have corrupted the technique somewhat. Instead of making an ‘s’ and then coming back up through it, I start at the upper righy, make a downward-curving diagonal slash to the lower left, then basically make an ‘s’ in reverse to close it up. My 8s are rather distinctive because this… they look kinda like they’re in motion. I am right-handed, by the way. I don’t do that crossing sevens and zeros nonsense, either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-draw-your-8s/219190.md?page=2)