Origin of xD

[Del Murder]

On the Pomona freeway there is a billboard for a new Scion car. The slogan is 'The new xD'. xD has become mainstream.

Where did xD come from? I admit it's not a terribly difficult smiley to discover on your own, but I always thought that xD originated at this site. I wasn't much of an internet savvy when I came here (still probably not), but I did not even see a hint of xD until I came here, where it ran rampant. Wikipedia says that it came from an episode of South Park, but I am unfamiliar with the episode.

[Miriel]

xD isn't as rampant here as it used to be. I discovered xD first here too. People in FFXI do XD though and it gets me mad. xD not XD!

[Zeromus_X]

I only use XD under extreme xD circumstances.

[mooglebunni608]

OMG we have a Scion xB

But the XBuckteeth never caught on like xDorkface did :/

I use XD a lot though. I think they say it comes from south park because that is the way teh faces look sometimes :/

[Mogi]

I use XD, not xD.
It's become a habit of mine.

Someone I know typed it and I just kinda took it up.
I don't remember who though.
x.x

[Shlup]

I wouldn't be surprised if it originated with South Park. I know they sometimes make a face that clearly resembles an XD.

Eh, I just assumed if was one of those things that everyone came up with.

[Necronopticous]

Yeah, it's impossible to trace stuff like this. I'm sure that someone, somewhere did it before South Park even existed.

I remember making emoticons very similar to 'xD' back on Prodigy chat rooms.

[Denmark]

I first started using xD after coming to this site. however, when my activity at this website started to die out, so did my usage of the xD smiley. coincidence?

[Araciel]

it came from your mom

also, spam

i use XD...just seems more fitting to me.

[Clouded Sky]

I've heard many stories pointing to Japanese anime, which wouldn't surprise me, it's a common animated face.

[Jojee]

I xD all the freaking time. Someone stop me. ;x I use way too many smileys.

[snacks]

i too started using xD when i first came here/chat.

although more or less now i use

Editaga: or : + D since it converted to smiliey.

[Yamaneko]

I saw a bum picking up trash off the 2 the other day.

[Agent Proto]

I don't recall where xD originated from, but I was introduced to it here. I remember around 2001 or so, back when Cid was very active, a member named Rydia of Mist (lol, hi Bas!) brought XD to EoFF. I am pretty sure, then there was that whole debate between XD and xD, with the latter eventually "winning".

That was amusing back then.

[BardTard]

xD

YAY! I finally did it! (I've never used xD before)