Occasionally you'll see little cryptic codes in messages. There are called
emoticons, and are used to express the emotions of normal voice communication
-- for example, to indicate that the "snide" comment you just read was really
a joke. The following list has been compiled from ten years of reading
messages on bulletin boards and CompuServe forums.
emoticon (noun). A figure created with the symbols on the
keyboard. Read with the head tilted to the left. Used to
convey the spirit in which a line of text is typed.
Emoticon Meaning
-------- -------
.-] User has one eye
.-) User has one eye
:-i Semi-Smiley
:-] Smiley blockhead
:-% User has beard
:-o User singing national anthem
:-t User is cross
:-: User is mutant
:-( Drama
:-) Comedy
:- User is male
:-? User is smoking a pipe
:-=) Older user with mustache
:-\ Undecided user
:-p User is sticking their tongue out (at you!)
:-)' User tends to drool
:-'| User has a cold
:-)8 User is well dressed
:-D User talks too much
:-\ Popeye smiling face, for people who look like popeye
:-# User's lips are sealed.
:-o User is shocked
:-* User just ate a sour pickle
:-)-{8 User is a big girl
:-s User after a BIZARRE comment
:-o User is surprised
:-{ User has a mustache
:-| No expression face, 'that comment doesn't phase me'
-:-) User sports a mohawk and admires Mr. T
:-% User has beard.
:-& User which is tongue-tied
:-9 User licking it's lips
:-( Sad
:-` User spitting out its chewing tobacco
:-* User after eating something bitter
:-> Hey hey
:-X User is wearing a bow tie
:-6 User after eating something sour
:-0 User is an orator
:-7 User after a wry statement
:-#| User with bushy mustache
:-@ User face screaming
:-% User is a banker
:-} User wears lipstick
:-) Humor (or smiley)
:-v Talking head Smiley
:-c Bummed out Smiley
:-x "my lips are sealed" Smiley
:-@ User's beard has permanent wave *or* was drawn by Picasso
:-| "have an ordinary day" Smiley
:-e Disappointed Smiley
:-< Real sad Smiley
:-I Hmm
:-( Boo hoo
:-8( Condescending stare
:-# User's lips are sealed.
:-O Uh oh
:-Q Smoker
::-) User wears glasses
:<| User attends an Ivy League school
:=) User has two noses
:> Midget Smiley
:>) User has a big nose
:%)% User has acne
:~) User's face needs a nosejob, no explanation necessary
:n) User with funny-looking right nose
:u) User with funny-looking left nose
;-) Winking Smiley
;-\ Popeye gets his lights punched out
'-) User only has a left eye, which is closed
(-: User is left-handed
(-) User needing a haircut
(:-) Smiley big-face
(:-( unSmiley frowning
(:)-) User likes to scuba dive
(:I Egghead
):-( UnSmiley big-face
)8-) Scuba Smiley big-face
{:-) Smiley with its hair parted in the middle
{(:-) User is wearing toupee.
}(:-( User, wearing toupee in wind.
+-(:-) User is the pope
+:-) Smiley priest
,-} Wry and winking
*-( Cyclops got poked in the eye
*:o) User is a Bozo
*<|:-) User is Santa Claus (Ho Ho Ho)
<:I Dunce
<|-)= User is chinese
=:-) User is a hosehead
=:-#} Smiley punk with a mustache....
=:-) Smiley punk-rocker
>- Female
>:-< Mad
%-^ User is Picasso
%-) User is cross-eyed
#-) User partied all night
@-) Person submitting is Cyclops
@:I Turban
|-O Birth
|-) Hee hee
|-D Ho ho
|-) User is asleep (boredom)
|-P Yuk
0-) User wearing scuba mask
8-) User wears glasses
8 Infinity
8-| Suspense
8-# Death
8:-) Glasses on forehead
8:] Normal smiling face except that User is a gorilla
B-) Horn-rims
B-| User is wearing cheap sunglasses
g-) Smiley with ponce-nez glasses
o-) User is a cyclops
P-) User is getting fresh
[:-) User is listening to Walkman radio
[:|] User is a robot