In a 2009 interview, then-head of Disney Channels Worldwide Gary Marsh said, “It [XD] doesn’t stand for anything.” He noted that the letter X has various “cool” associations for kids, like marking treasure on a map or representing the unknown. He encouraged audiences to create their own interpretations. Some have also observed that XD is an emoticon for laughter, with the “X” as eyes squinted or closed and the “D” an open, laughing mouth.