# X is for nothing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558 "2015-09-10T20:55:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/1 "2015-09-10T20:55:38Z")
I was wondering how Sue Grafton was going to deal with this issue. The title of the book is simply ‘X’. She has the letter work overtime, though. She uses it frequently in names. It’s actually not bad. Better than she’s done in a while. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/2 "2015-09-10T22:28:00Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I was wondering how Sue Grafton was going to deal with this issue. X IS FOR X-RAY seems like it would’ve been pretty easy. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/3 "2015-09-10T22:35:48Z")
Publisher’s blurb: X: The number ten. An unknown quantity. A mistake. A cross. A kiss. X: The shortest entry in Webster’s Unabridged. Derived from Greek and Latin and commonly found in science, medicine, and religion. The most graphically dramatic letter. Notoriously tricky to pronounce: think xylophone. X: The twenty-fourth letter in the English alphabet. Sue Grafton’s X: Perhaps her darkest and most chilling novel, it features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton wastes little time identifying this sociopath. The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/4 "2015-09-11T17:55:55Z")
X: awesome LA punk band from the 1970s & '80s. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/5 "2015-09-11T18:04:39Z")
“X is for Xookie That’s good enough for me. X is for Xookie That’s good enough for me…” –Xookie Monster ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/6 "2015-09-11T20:33:01Z")
I say she goes with X Is For Xanthic and writes her first werewolf novel. “His eyes… she’d never seen anything like their acidic yellow glow.” ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/7 "2015-09-12T00:51:26Z")
I’d go with X is for Xenomorph. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/8 "2015-09-12T01:11:57Z")
I agree, **Frank** , this is the best for a while. I also kind of enjoyed the Xs appearing in the story; there were several. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/9 "2015-09-12T01:13:06Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I was wondering how Sue Grafton was going to deal with this issue. The title of the book is simply ‘X’. She has the letter work overtime, though. She uses it frequently in names. > > It’s actually not bad. Better than she’s done in a while. It sounds good. I’m curious how her series will end. It’s been fun watching how much tech and everything has changed and she’s had to stay locked into he Milhone character and time. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/10 "2015-09-12T01:34:18Z")
Hope Sue gets cranking on Y and Z, it would be awful to be missing the last two if she is unable to do so. Though I’m sure her estate will see someone writes them…I think it would be interesting if Z had some 80’s Kinsey Millhone and it ended up with her in the 21st century, retired, and looking back on her last big case. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/11 "2015-09-12T02:20:44Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > X: awesome LA punk band from the 1970s & '80s. Drink at the bar nothing bar anything but the bottom step of the ladder ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/12 "2015-09-12T04:56:57Z")
it keeps getting higher and higher dawn comes soon enough for the working class 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/13 "2015-09-12T07:38:27Z")
I also don’t think it would have been all that hard for her to keep up the pattern, but it’s pretty hard to argue with her reasoning for taking a pass – i.e., she’s the writer and she can do whatever she feels like doing. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-for-nothing/730558/14 "2015-09-14T00:00:23Z")
I’ve just started and noticed that there’s a boat in a painting. It’s a\*\* x\*\*ebec.