# What is a king's cross? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820 "2013-05-08T17:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/1 "2013-05-08T17:30:45Z")
An article I’m reading described a pattern someone drew as a “king’s cross”. I am unaware of what that would mean beyond a simple cross, and why it would need to be differentiated by the modifier “king’s”. Does anyone know? Google has not been helpful. It tells me there is a stop on the London Underground by that name, and a song with that name. Pictures of the London underground terminal and the map for the terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/2 "2013-05-08T17:45:52Z")
My computer’s not showing me pictures, for some reason, but try Googling “king’s cross pattern” as a search, and not just “king’s cross”. I see a few sites offering it as an embroidery pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/3 "2013-05-08T17:48:45Z")
May not be very helpful, but when I was a child playing games with my mom, she would on occasion exclaim “King’s ‘X’!” She did this to indicate a stop in the game…a way to symbolically say “hold on, lets stop for a second”…kind of like a temporal ‘safe’ zone. She crossed her fingers when she did this (middle finger wrapped over index finger). I presume she did this herself as a child, and she’s ~80 to give you an idea of the time frame. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/4 "2013-05-08T18:01:49Z")
Total WAG, but I would presume something like the Knight’s Cross. A plus sign with flared ends. Like this: [https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=knights+cross&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yZKKUZTrL8SzyAH-4ICADw&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1801&bih=984](https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=knights+cross&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yZKKUZTrL8SzyAH-4ICADw&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1801&bih=984) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/5 "2013-05-08T18:04:10Z")
I believe it’s just another term for the X shape like that on the Scottish flag. Do an image search on “kings cross quilt pattern”. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/6 "2013-05-08T19:57:52Z")
[http://www.symbols.com/](http://www.symbols.com/) makes no mention of “king’s” or “kings” in connection with “cross” so it does not appear to be a formally recognized symbol. Other than that, one image from Google was of tableware with a “king’s cross” on the handle that appeared to be either a plain Greek cross topped bay a crown on each arm or a Mantua cross, (the shape of an Iron cross), in which each flared end was in the shape of a crown. When looking at the various quilt patterns, a recurring, (although not constant), theme was that it appeared to be in an X shape, but with each arm composed of two fabrics of contrasting colors. (Of course, when butted up against the similar square pieces, the arms of the cross formed a diamond pattern, although I would not expect that to take the name of a “cross.”) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/7 "2013-05-08T20:03:33Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > May not be very helpful, but when I was a child playing games with my mom, she would on occasion exclaim “King’s ‘X’!” > > She did this to indicate a stop in the game…a way to symbolically say “hold on, lets stop for a second”…kind of like a temporal ‘safe’ zone. > > She crossed her fingers when she did this (middle finger wrapped over index finger). > > I presume she did this herself as a child, and she’s ~80 to give you an idea of the time frame. This article [Truce term - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truce_term) discusses the use of “King’s X” etc. as a “timeout” request ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/8 "2013-05-08T20:06:00Z")
\*\*Here’s one:\*\*[http://nickwakelingillustration.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/57/kings-cross-4/](http://nickwakelingillustration.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/57/kings-cross-4/) Unfortunately, it doesn’t explain why it’s called that. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/9 "2013-05-08T20:45:06Z")
A bit more info about the article might help us identify the king’s cross pattern. A little context would help here. ---
**Author:** ![Melkor28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Melkor28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melkor28)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/10 "2013-05-08T21:45:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **DrCube** : > > Total WAG, but I would presume something like the Knight’s Cross. A plus sign with flared ends. > > Like this: [Google](https://encrypted.google.com/search?...w=1801&bih=984) I belive you posted a link to pictures of the Iron Cross [Iron Cross - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Cross) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/11 "2013-05-08T22:25:56Z")
Context: article was a description of a supposed supernatural event. The person was described to have had scratches on his arm in the shape of a kings cross. WTF? I could see “cross” or “x-mark”, but how do scratches appear as a blanket pattern? Simple scratches as if from a demon? This was in the course of numerous other events, including mysterious indoor rain, the guy being levitated, and such. The article gave a reasonable explanation for the events, but the description “kings cross” was meaningless to me and not elaborated upon, just left as a description of the marks made on his arm. I was wondering if it was a crooked cross, like _X_, but otherwise I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/12 "2013-05-09T00:38:39Z")
Anecdote. I have heard that a “King’s Cross” or a “King’s X” was crossing the fingers on your off-hand when shaking hands to indicate that you didn’t really plan on going through with whatever deal you had just made. When someone accused you of not doing what you said you would you just held up your hand with the fingers crossed and said “King’s X!”. In college I knew someone who wanted to start a company called “King’s X” based on the saying. Late '70’s/early '80’s. No cite, just an anecdote. Take it fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![beandog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beandog/32/7604_2.png) [@beandog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beandog)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/13 "2013-05-09T01:30:48Z")
Could “king’s cross” be of Christian origin? As in the cross that Christ, King of the Jews and all mankind, died on? That’s the first thing I thought of when I heard the phrase, but I do spend way too much time studying religious imagery/iconography in grad school… Even so, it doesn’t explain why the mark was described specifically as a “king’s cross” and not just a “regular” cross. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/14 "2013-05-09T10:40:52Z")
I’m having trouble finding a good picture but in my experience it looks like the design on the head of these pieces of cutlery: [![](https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6767125/il_570xN.330147145.jpg) ](https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6767125/il_570xN.330147145.jpg) It’s an ornate cross with equal-length arms, oriented like a plus sign, with flared ends. I saw a poster above mention the knight’s cross, which has a similar shape though much plainer, so I may be mixing up the terms. The flared ends, though, are what make it a king’s cross instead of a regular plus sign. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/15 "2013-05-09T12:01:58Z")
I always assumed there was once a cross there, as a sort of public monument, that had been placed by some king or other (perhaps to publicly commemorate thanking God for some victorious battle). I filed it away in the same part of my brain as “camino real” – a Spanish royal road. But I could be way off. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/16 "2013-05-09T12:04:05Z")
Turns out I was pretty close: “Around 1835 a monument to King George IV was built at the junction of Gray’s Inn Road, Pentonville Road and New Road, which later became Euston Road. The monument was sixty feet high and topped by an eleven-foot-high statue of the king, and was described by Walter Thornbury as “a ridiculous octagonal structure crowned by an absurd statue”. The statue itself, which cost no more than £25, was constructed of bricks and mortar, and finished in a manner that gave it the appearance of stone “at least to the eyes of common spectators”. The architect was Stephen Geary, who exhibited a model of “the Kings Cross” at the Royal Academy in 1830. The upper storey was used as a camera obscura while the base in turn housed a police station and a public house. The unpopular building was demolished in 1845, though the area has kept the name of Kings Cross.” – Wikipedia And, the “cross” isn’t a cross (or, isn’t _only_ a cross)…it’s a river cross_ing_: “The area was previously a village known as Battle Bridge or Battlebridge which was an ancient crossing of the River Fleet. The original name of the bridge was Broad Ford Bridge.” – Wikipedia ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/17 "2013-05-09T12:10:54Z")
[This map](http://www.fluffhouse.org.uk/lynnette/stuff/mappe2.jpg) (zoom in) shows clearly how there was an important crossing of the River Fleet there. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/18 "2013-05-09T12:18:01Z")
> [@Baffle](#): > > I’m having trouble finding a good picture Can you find it here? > **[Cross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross#As_emblems_and_symbols)** > > A cross is a compound geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in heraldic terminology. > The cross has been widely recognized as an absolute symbol of Christianity exclusively from an early period in that religion's history. Before then, it was used as a religious or cultural symbol throughout Europe, in western... Cross patonce, perhaps? So, it’s something fancier than an ordinary + or X, but simple enough to be scratched onto skin. I’ll guess it’s either the Jerusalem cross, or the cross crosslet. ---
**Author:** ![pragyaware](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pragyaware](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pragyaware)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/19 "2013-05-09T12:28:33Z")
I don’t know about this thing. I think if Google don’t know this thing then there is no another search engine who give information about this thing. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820/20 "2013-05-09T13:00:22Z")
Okay, my google-fu tells me that the Celtic cross is sometimes called a kings cross. examples: [http://www.ebay.com/itm/CELTIC-Knot-Work-KINGS-CROSS-CLOAK-BROOCH-PIN-Celtic-KnotWork-Heavy-Solid-/400405184860](http://www.ebay.com/itm/CELTIC-Knot-Work-KINGS-CROSS-CLOAK-BROOCH-PIN-Celtic-KnotWork-Heavy-Solid-/400405184860) [http://www.rankmytattoos.com/tattoo-designs/celtic-cross-tattoo-6336297199339725005.html](http://www.rankmytattoos.com/tattoo-designs/celtic-cross-tattoo-6336297199339725005.html) [http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1270&bih=768&tbm=isch&tbnid=uuLzFeo2zSpv6M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-P-celtic-norse-kings-cross-S-P-18-inch-stell-chain-Pewter-pendant-/190629054067&docid=ze8J\_5h9K2x2AM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.ebayimg.com/t/S-P-celtic-norse-kings-cross-S-P-18-inch-stell-chain-Pewter-pendant-/00/s/NDE4WDUxMg%253D%253D/%2524(KGrHqJHJDkE63Zd!Y3VBO1%252Bd!o9bw~~60\_35.JPG&w=300&h=244&ei=epqLUab0Ouq\_0QXltoHwDA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:28,s:0,i:171&iact=rc&dur=1821&page=2&tbnh=165&tbnw=224&start=19&ndsp=24&tx=95&ty=49](http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1270&bih=768&tbm=isch&tbnid=uuLzFeo2zSpv6M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-P-celtic-norse-kings-cross-S-P-18-inch-stell-chain-Pewter-pendant-/190629054067&docid=ze8J_5h9K2x2AM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.ebayimg.com/t/S-P-celtic-norse-kings-cross-S-P-18-inch-stell-chain-Pewter-pendant-/00/s/NDE4WDUxMg%253D%253D/%2524%28KGrHqJHJDkE63Zd!Y3VBO1%252Bd!o9bw~~60_35.JPG&w=300&h=244&ei=epqLUab0Ouq_0QXltoHwDA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:28,s:0,i:171&iact=rc&dur=1821&page=2&tbnh=165&tbnw=224&start=19&ndsp=24&tx=95&ty=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-kings-cross/657820.md?page=2)