Emoticons

Note: this content is very old (2009-09-06).

Please read this disclaimer.

There are many cultural differences around which emoticons people use. While the sideways :) style emoticons are more common in western cultures, the “right-side-up” style emoticons are more popular in eastern countries. Perhaps owing to their greater expressiveness, or the influence of manga on western culture and internet culture in particular, eastern-style emoticons have gained in popularity in the west, especially among nerds.

I started using them because they seemed to capture much more emotion, and lend themselves to a wider range of expressiveness. But for those unfamiliar with their meaning, they can be confusing.

The trick is to look at them as right-side-up faces, eyes on the sides, mouth in the middle. The size and position of the eyes usually indicates the emotion. It might help to put them in parentheses like (^_^) so it looks more like a face. These are the ones I use. There are a bunch more, especially in Kanji and other languages where there are many more shapes to play with.

ToT

Crying a lot. The Ts are eyes squinted shut, with a stream of tears. The “o” is a wide open mouth, because you’re crying so hard. Think WAAAAAAA!!!! like a cartoon baby.

T_T

Lotta tears, but not wailing. Maybe you’re just chopping onions or something.

;_;

Crying a little. The ;s are an eye with one tear coming down, and the mouth is shut. Sniff sniff.

v_v

Quiet frustrated resignation. Eyes are pointed down. “Alright. Fine. Whatever.”

/_\
/o\

Profound dismay. Opposite of smiling. Eyebrows are lifted in the middle, very sad. With the open mouth, it’s a wail of extreme sorrow.

O_O

Whoa!! Exclamation, surprise. Eyes are wide open.

-_-

Sleeping. Eyes are shut.

=_=
g_g

Sleepy. Note the bags under the eyes.

>_<

Furious or hurt. Like you just stubbed your toe. Fuck! Face is scrunched up.

>o<

Yelling about it!

~o~

Yawn (eyes are closed, mouth open)

@.@

Dizzy, confused, disoriented. whoooaaa…

$_$

Thinking about money (Like the cartoons where the person’s eyes would go “chaching!”)

x_x
X_X
*…*

Dead (x’s over the eyes, skeleton face.)

o_O

Raised eyebrow, quizzical, interested. “Hm..?”

o_O?

Scratching head. Like o_O but a bit more confused or intrigued.

^_^

Happy, grinning

^o^

WOW! YAY! Eyes are smiling, mouth wide open exclaiming about something. Sometimes with arms, like \(^o^)/

*^_^*

blushing

;^_^

Embarrassed, smiling. From the manga tradition of putting a giant sweat drop by the face of a character to indicate discomfort. More ; means more embarrassed.

d^_^b

Listening to music, headphones on

^.^

A happy kiss.

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