# What is this symbol? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647 "2003-03-07T03:54:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/1 "2003-03-07T03:54:14Z")
Here’s a link to a symbol I have seen before: [Linky to symbol](http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=Image012.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/lst%3f%26.dir=/Yahoo!%2bPhoto%2bAlbum%26.src=bc%26.view=l) What is this, and what does it mean? Thanks so much. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/2 "2003-03-07T03:58:27Z")
Your link isn’t working. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/3 "2003-03-07T04:10:49Z")
Forgot about the security setting. Sorry, try this one: [New improved link to symbol](http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=Image012.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/lst%3f%26.dir=/Yahoo!%2bPhoto%2bAlbum%26.src=bc%26.view=l) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/4 "2003-03-07T04:19:31Z")
Nope. Maybe third times the charm? Otherwise try [Boomspeed](http://future.boomspeed.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantone_Swatchbook)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/5 "2003-03-07T04:26:00Z")
No go, bro. Perhaps a detailed, written description is enough for someone to make a successful guess. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/6 "2003-03-07T04:26:55Z")
snarglefarglerazzlefazzle… I changed it yet again; let’s hope third time’s the charm! [http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky\_drummer/lst?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album](http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/lst?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album) …the symbol is on the bottom in two pics. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/7 "2003-03-07T04:28:35Z")
> **[Flickr](https://flickr.com/)** > > Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you... It looks like a cross with a loop on top. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/8 "2003-03-07T04:28:45Z")
Oh, forget it. Pantone has some good advice. It’s a cross that looks rather like a plus sign (+) with a loop on top. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/9 "2003-03-07T04:28:58Z")
Still no good. Don’t shoot the messenger 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/10 "2003-03-07T04:29:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe K \* > \*\*Here’s a link to a symbol I have seen before: > > [Linky to symbol](http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=Image012.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/lst%3f%26.dir=/Yahoo!%2bPhoto%2bAlbum%26.src=bc%26.view=l) > > What is this, and what does it mean? Thanks so much. \*\* Looks sort of like an “[ankh](http://www.swagga.com/ankh.htm)” And here’s a [better link](http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/vwp?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.dnm=Image012.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/unfunky_drummer/lst%3f%26.dir=/Yahoo!%2bPhoto%2bAlbum%26.src=bc%26.view=l). (Hint: you need quotation marks around the whole URL) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/11 "2003-03-07T04:33:49Z")
I don’t think it’s an Ankh, although there is a superficial resemblance. If it is, it’s fairly stylized, although it’s hard to tell from a rough drawing. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/12 "2003-03-07T04:39:32Z")
I can’t tell what the surface the symbol’s drawn on, Q.E.D. It looks to me like it could be a tattoo. Take a gander at symbol 42:19 on [www.symbols.com](http://www.symbols.com) and tell me what you think about it being an ankh or not. Joe: Your 2nd link did work for me. The 3rd one didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/13 "2003-03-07T04:40:37Z")
Ah yes, it’s an Ankh. I was going on secoond had information when I drew it. Thanks for the linking help as well. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/14 "2003-03-07T04:48:55Z")
Oh, and if I “shot any messengers”, I humbly apologize. All the shooting was intended at myself for the sudden lack of coding knowledge. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-symbol/159647/15 "2003-03-07T05:10:01Z")
No problem, Joe. That symbol encyclopedia’s a favourite website.