# The Heart Symbol (Part 2)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 29, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541 "2002-12-29T20:46:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/1 "2002-12-29T20:46:07Z")

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There was a thread on the use of the “Valentine’ Day” heart in some game thingy earlier, which got me thinking, why and how did that symbol get to coming around? When the heart is actually so not like the pendants you gift your girlfriend.

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**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/2 "2002-12-29T21:07:08Z")

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Zero replies? How lamentable does this get?

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**Author:** ![Blueapple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Blueapple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blueapple)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/3 "2002-12-29T21:12:08Z")

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Give it more then 20 minutes maybe?

(Yes, I know I didn’t answer your query :D)

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**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/4 "2002-12-29T21:12:32Z")

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Impatient are we? And unable to use google?[Check Here](http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/20/2018.html)

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/5 "2002-12-29T21:15:10Z")

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In 21 minutes? Not very lamentable at all. You must learn patience, grasshopper.

Here’s [How come valentine hearts don’t look anything like real hearts?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_146.html), to start you off at least.

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**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/6 "2002-12-29T21:44:11Z")

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So how long should i give it 🙂

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/7 "2002-12-29T21:51:00Z")

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Well, from [The Straight Dope FAQ](http://www.straightdope.com/faq/officialfaq.html) (concerning questions asked of Cecil himself):

> [@](#):
>
> **What’s the average lag between the time you receive a question and the time the answer appears in print?**
> 
> Sometime between 15 minutes and never. The longest lag we know of for a question that was actually published was nine years. But that was unusual. If a question is worth answering, we make a genuine effort to do so while the question asker is still alive.

I think after nine years you could [bump the thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1997121#post1997121).

Once.

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**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-heart-symbol-part-2/145541/8 "2002-12-29T22:04:33Z")

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Nine? I was thinking more like thirteen. but nine is fine. 🙂  
thanx for the link pyscomonkey.  
MEbuckner, did i not thank you as well?