# The Q and X Union. We represent the underused letters of the alphabet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643 "2001-03-27T04:44:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/1 "2001-03-27T04:44:36Z")
I come here today to endorse the Q and X Union, an organization dedicated to the well being and advancing the opportunities for the underused letters of the alphabet. The oppressed letters do not want superiority, but equality and the chance to make it ahead in the world by being used in more words. For instance Q wants to get away from the clutches of the U and become an independently used letter, possibly achieving the ultimate goal of being a word all it’s own. X has similar goals. It wants to have one correct pronunciation (Is it “ecks” or “zzz”? It’s up to itself to decide.) and begin being used ever increasingly. Why not create new words like Kween instead of Queen so Q can live on it’s own? How about spelling Xylophone with a Z so it’s spelled like it’s pronounced? Add another X to ax (axx) extra (exxtra) and extreme (exxtreme). Please, open your heart today and care about the underused letters and post in this thread as many posts as possible using words that could do with an underused letter-or make up words of your own-not just X or Q, but all of them. TXQU (The X and Q Union) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/2 "2001-03-27T07:33:59Z")
But you don’t even use a Q or an X in your screen name. How can we take your interest seriously? If you were The Quintessentially Excellent Zamboni, that’d be another story. As for the letters Q and X, if they were given equal status, would they agree to concessions? Both would have to surrender at least part of their point value in Scrabble. X would have to abdicate its pre-eminence as far as being the letter mathematicians use the most to describe unknowns in equations. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/3 "2001-03-27T07:39:54Z")
allow me to introduce words to you which support your cause qat, a plant native to Africa. qoph, a hebrew letter, it’s a word like alpha is a word also let me say that part of the problem that Q and X might be having is that A, E, I, O, U and Y insist of appearing in every word, the so called “Vowel Monopoly” something that can be battled by using words like nth, which means to a large degree. good luck ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/4 "2001-03-27T07:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > TXQU (The X and Q Union) Free the Q from the U? Think up another word for union, then. Hah hah! You’ll never achieve freedom! We have you imprisoned forever! Signed, The Vowel Fascists ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/5 "2001-03-27T07:46:28Z")
As for “Q” being without “U,” I think the country of Qatar is helping with that effort. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/6 "2001-03-27T07:46:36Z")
> [@](#): > > _By brother rat_ > also let me say that part of the problem that Q and X might be having is that A, E, I, O, U and Y insist of appearing in every word, the so called “Vowel Monopoly” something that can be battled by using words like nth, which means to a large degree. Hah,hah, hah! We _spit_ on your “nth”. You can’t pronounce it without an “e”! Hah, hah! Signed, The Vowel Fascists PS. Vowel monopoly? For that suggestion, we’ll let you live when the revolution comes. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/7 "2001-03-27T07:48:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > TXQU (The X and Q Union) > > Free the Q from the U? Think up another word for union, then. > > Hah hah! You’ll never achieve freedom! We have you imprisoned forever! > > Signed, > The Vowel Fascists \*\* Q can seek asylum from the Vowel Fascists, by flying Qantas Airways with a stopover in Iraq. Might be in the FAQ. QED ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/8 "2001-03-27T07:53:06Z")
> [@](#): > > _By TheLoadedDog_ > Q can seek asylum from the Vowel Fascists, by flying Qantas Airways with a stopover in Iraq. Might be in the FAQ. > > QED Ah, yes? You think you have a point, hmm? Iraq is watched over by our worthy agent “a”; Qantas’ first letter stands for Queensland; FAQ is backed up by Questions (“u” is a busy agent this month), and as for QED – the Fascists laughed so hard, we nearly had a vowel movement. Signed, The Vowel Fascists ---
**Author:** ![Meleemancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Meleemancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meleemancer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/9 "2001-03-27T11:33:04Z")
You may ask, how can Q and X possibly hope to form a union when they are never seen close together? (What a Scrabble word that would make, huh?) E **xq** uisite question. The shortest Q-X word (proper noun, I’m afraid) that I know of is [Qix](http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gameboy/game/6023.html), a Gameboy game released in 1990. That link leads to the XFAQs. (Who says that questions can’t be eXtremely frequently asked?) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/10 "2001-03-27T12:24:40Z")
> [@](#): > > That link leads to the XFAQs. (Who says that questions can’t be eXtremely frequently asked?) No, no, no my friend. If we are ever to liberate the X, it must be allowed to stand on its own two feet. By creating excuses such as this, it will never learn to be truly independant of the Vowel Facists - this co-dependancy does it a disservice. Imagine, if you will, a legion of Xs. They have legs, look, and arms to wave. Throw off your scrabble chains, you have no need of such back-handed compliments! Fight my little Xs! Fight! Join hands and become a row of kisses my friends! Fight with your love! Fran ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/11 "2001-03-27T12:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \* > \*\* > Ah, yes? You think you have a point, hmm? Iraq is watched over by our worthy agent “a”; Qantas’ first letter stands for Queensland; FAQ is backed up by Questions (“u” is a busy agent this month), and as for QED – the Fascists laughed so hard, we nearly had a vowel movement. > > Signed, > The Vowel Fascists \*\* My Dear Chappies, I’ll draw your attention to the fact that your Middle East regiments are now so depleted (duties in Israel I should imagine) as to require agents “I” and “A” to perform duty in both Iraq and Iran, whilst the Consonant Good Guys have an extra “N” at our disposal, should agent “Q” decide to seek a new identity under the Consonant Protection Scheme (CPS). Wisely, the honest citizens of Queensland have seen fit to abolish vowels altogether by abbreviating that state’s name to **QLD** , with **FAQ** and **QED** being yet another win for commonsense (we have your agents surrounded there, I’m afraid!). Feeling consonantipated? Ready to “throw in the vowel”? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/12 "2001-03-27T12:40:19Z")
It doesn’t matter how many strides Q and X make toward achieving victory. In the end, W will just steal it away from them. Hahahahahahaha!! ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/13 "2001-03-27T13:36:57Z")
> [@](#): > > BUSH DEPLOYS VOWELS TO BOSNIA > > Cities of Sjlbvdnzv, Grzny to Be First Recipients > > Before an emergency joint session of Congress yesterday, President Bush announced US plans to deploy over 75,000 vowels to the war-torn region of Bosnia. The deployment, the largest of its kind in American history, will provide the region with the critically needed letters A, E, I, O and U, and is hoped to render countless Bosnian names more pronounceable. > > “For six years, we have stood by while names like Ygrjvslhv and Tzlynhr and Glrm have been horribly butchered by millions around the world,” Bush said. “Today, the United States must finally stand up and say ‘Enough,’ it is time the people of Bosnia finally had some vowels in their incomprehensible words. The US is proud to lead the crusade in this noble endeavour.” > > The deployment, dubbed “Operation Vowel Storm” by the State Department, is set for early next week, with the Adriatic port cities of Sjlbvdnzv and Grzny slated to be the first recipients. Two C-130 transport planes, each carrying over 500 24-count boxes of “E’s,” will fly from Andrews Air Force Base across the Atlantic and airdrop the letters over the cities and citizens of Grzny and Sjlbvdnzv eagerly await the arrival of the vowels. “My God, I do not think we can last another day,” Trszg Grzdnjkln, 44, said. “I have six children and none of them has a name that is understandable to me or to anyone else. Mr. Bush, please send my poor, wretched family just one ‘E.’ please.” > > Said Sjlbvdnzv resident Grg Hmphrs, 67: "With just a few key letters, I could be George Humphries. This is my dream. "The airdrop represents the largest deployment of any letter to a foreign country since 1984. During the summer of that year, the US shipped 92,000 consonants to Ethiopia, providing cities like Ouaouoaua, Eaoiiuae, and Aao with vital, life giving supplies of L’s, S’s and T’s. The consonant-relief effort failed, however, when vast quantities of the letters were intercepted and horded by violent, gun-toting warlords. I would say that with the extremely high demand for vowels that there will be no end to vowel monopolization in the forseeable future and that consonant opression, especially for Q and X will be likely to continue well into the 22nd century. ---
**Author:** ![Jenericho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Jenericho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenericho)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/14 "2001-03-27T15:19:33Z")
Are Ice Wolf, TheLoadedDog and Snooooopy in any way related to Don Coyote? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/15 "2001-03-27T18:59:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*But you don’t even use a Q or an X in your screen name. How can we take your interest seriously? If you were The Quintessentially Excellent Zamboni, that’d be another story. > \*\* Or at least the Great Xamboni ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/16 "2001-03-27T19:06:43Z")
Here at the Institute for Alphabet Reduction, we say the letters “Q” and “X” (along with “Z”, “V”, and “K”) should be eliminated entirely for the following reasons: - Better compression ratios of alphanumeric documents. - Fewer letters to learn and/or type. - Reduction of unneeded sounds. In the interim from a 26 letter alphabet to a 21 letter alphabet, the use of dipthongs will replace these 5 letters: QU = CW X = EGGS Z = SSS V = FTH K = CC Therefore the sentence: The xenophobic duck quacked violently at Zeno the Venusian. Becomes: The eggsenophobic duccc cwaccced fthiolently at Ssseno the Fthenusian. Of course, the ultimate goal of the Institute is to reduce all communication to the binary “A” and “E”, thus allowing humans and computers to understand each other and facilitate the merger of man and machine into cybernetic organisms. If you are interested in helping us toward that end, please write to us at: AAEEAEE EAEEEA EAE EAE AE AEAEA Thancc you. ---
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/17 "2001-03-27T19:18:19Z")
I am not paranoid, I swear U keeps following me around. Sincerely, Q ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/18 "2001-03-27T19:24:00Z")
I stand ready for orders. My own dedication to the cause of Q can be seen in my RL name, which includes this uni **q** ue letter, be it still accompanied by the vowel “u.” Rather than let Q feel subject to u, I have made it my practice to capitalize the Q, even in the middle of my name. My Q stands proud. I’m willing to consider rallying for X, as well. However, in my own e **x** perience, this letter is less worthy of praise and can often be found hanging out in the wrong parts of town, leaving its mark in blinking neon: XXXXXXXXXXXX, it calls out. Also, X gets its fair share of publicity in mathematics, garment sizes and [the summer blockbuster](http://www.x-men.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/19 "2001-03-27T19:29:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > > \*\*But you don’t even use a Q or an X in your screen name. How can we take your interest seriously? If you were The Quintessentially Excellent Zamboni, that’d be another story. > > \*\* > > Or at least the Great Xamboni \*\* The Great Xamboni, Warrior Princess. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643/20 "2001-03-27T20:12:05Z")
As you can see from the above political pamphlets stuck to the wall of liguistic futility – the war is as good as over. There is no stopping the march of the Vowel Fascists, and any day now we expect the capitulation of the rebels. As to the (excuse us, we stil laugh incontinently at this) suggestion that the large Australian state goes around calling itself QLD – well. Try pronouncing it, friends and neighbours. Try saying Q’s pitiful attempt at independence – and listen to the sound of the vowels … We are one of the first language rules taught to little children. Years later, programmed adults wake up in the midst of a sweat-beaded night, and mutter, “And sometimes Y? WTF?” We are united. We are forever. We are … The Vowel Fascists. BTW … who’s Don Coyote? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-q-and-x-union-we-represent-the-underused-letters-of-the-alphabet/59643.md?page=2)