Forms: 5 Crist cross, 6 Christes crosse, Christe-, 6–7 Christ-, crisse-, 7 Christs-, chriss(e)-crosse, crish-cross, 6–9 Christ-cross, 7–9 chris-, cris-, criss-cross. [lit. Christ’s cross; but the former word being phonetically reduced as in Christ-mas, and the composition thus obscured, it is commonly treated in sense 2 as a simple reduplication of cross (cf. zig-zag): see CRISS-CROSS a. and v.]
† 1. The figure of a cross (☩) formerly placed in front of the alphabet in horn-books, etc. Obs.
c. 1430–1597. [see 3].
1602. J. Cooke, Gd. Wife fr. Bad, III. i. (1614), E ij b. I was fiue yeare learning cris-crosse from great A, and fiue yeere longer comming to F.
a. 1613. Overbury, A Wife (1638), 181. A Horne-book without a Christ-Crosse afore it.
1640[?]. New Serm. Newest Fashion (1877), 37. The beginning of learning is the letters, and the beginning of the letters is … that most profane, superstitious and Antichristian Letter which they call Chriss-Crosse.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Christch. Wind., 193. Must we forget Christs Cross, as soon as past the Alphabet?
b. The alphabet; = CHRIST-CROSS-ROW. Obs. exc. dial.
1553. Becon, Reliq. Rome, Wks. II. 383. A Crosse of ashes and sand, wherein ye whole alphabete or Christes Crosse shal be writen.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Ch. Militant. Plato and Aristotle were at a losse And wheel’d about again to spell Christ-crosse.
1640. Tatham, Fancie’s Theater (in N. & Q., Ser. I. III. 330), Ere they scarce can say Their Pater Noster, or their Christ-crosse A.
1875. Parish, Sussex Gloss., Crisscross (Christ’s Cross), the alphabet.
† c. fig. ? Beginning, or ? ‘A B C,’ ‘alphabet.’
1635. Quarles, Embl., II. xii. (1818), 120. Christ’s cross is the chriscross of all our happiness.
2. The figure or mark of a cross in general; esp. that made in ‘signing’ his name by a person who cannot write.
1607. W[entworth] S[mith], Puritaine, III. 47. The feskewe of the Diall is vpon the Chrisse-crosse of Noone.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 491. The round [symbol] I. O. makes with a Cris-cross in the middle of it.
1755. Smollett, Quix., II. iii. xlii. I am even ignorant of the a, b, c; but, provided I remember my Christ-cross, I shall be sufficiently qualified.
1846. Brockett, N. C. Words, Criss-cross, the mark or signature of those who cannot write.
1887. Kentish Gloss. (E. D. S.), Christ-cross, the signature of a person who cannot write is also so called.
† 3. Christ’s cross me speed: a formula said before repeating the alphabet; hence used allusively.
c. 1430. Lydg., Prohemy Marriage, Poems (1840), II. 42. How long agoo lerned ye Crist Cross me spede? Haue ye no more lernyd of youre a, b, c?
a. 1528. Skelton, Agst. Venomous Tongues, I. 133. 3. In your Crosse rowe, nor Christ crosse you spede.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., I. 36. Christes crosse be my speede, in all vertue to proceede, A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, & t, double w, v, x with y, ezod, & per se, con per se tittle tittle est Amen When you haue done begin againe, begin againe.
4. See further under CRISS-CROSS sb.
