When I first started using Macs, one of the things most confusing to me were the symbols that OS X uses on the menus to indicate the keyboard short cuts:
Eventually, I learned what these symbols meant
| Symbol | key |
|---|---|
| ⌘ | Command/Apple |
| ⌥ | Option |
| ⌫ | Delete |
| ⇧ | Shift |
| ^ | Control |
The ⇧ is obvious and the ^ is the usual symbol for the control key; the ⌫ is almost as obvious as the first two. The ⌥ key is the hardest one to figure out until you look it up in a unicode chart and discover that its name is “OPTION KEY.” So that symbol makes sense once you learn its name.
The ⌘ wasn’t difficult at all because it’s printed right on the command key but when you look up its name you find “PLACE OF INTEREST.” Huh? What does that have to do with command or Apple or anything else? I just put it down to one of the mysteries of the universe until I saw this post by Andy Hertzfeld over at Folklore.org. In it, Hertzfeld explains how that symbol came to be chosen for the command key. It’s an amusing story and I won’t spoil it for you by giving it away—head over to Folklore to see for yourself.