SMILIES
In the "old days," and I am not talking about George M. Cohan days, but ten years ago, AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy were the only private networks. Connections were 2400 baud. I remember when I used to connect on AOL at 9600 baud and thought that was "fast." Wow!!!
To save time, just like they do in ham radio or even police calls with codes, e-mail users came up with their own codes. They are still used today. They are intended to be read sideways.
If you have a favorite "Smilie" or "Code," please send it to me and I will post it here:
| Smilie/Code | Usage |
| Basic Smilies | |
| :-) | Standard Smiley. Just joking, implies humour. |
| ;-) | Winking Smiley. Used when you make a sarcastic remark. |
| ,-) | Wink |
| :-( | Sad Smiley. Used when you didn't like something, or to imply sadness. |
| Popular Smilies | |
| :-! | Foot in mouth. |
| :-# | Wears braces/been hit in the mouth. or Censored |
| :-$ | Put your money where your mouth is. |
| :-& | Tongue tied. |
| :-/ | Skeptical. |
| :-O | Yelling / Wow! |
| :_) | Tongue in cheek. |
| =-) | Sideways smily face. |
| $-) | Just won the lottery |
| >;-> | Winky and devil combined. A vary lewd remark just made. |
| :--> | User just made a very devilish remark. |
| :-, | Smirk |
| :-II | Anger |
| :-> | Just made a really biting sarcastic remark. |
| Smilies with Emotion | |
| :-< | Very sad. |
| :-D | Laughing / Sad with a smile. |
| :-@ | Screaming / I swear. |
| :-| | Hmmm.... Don't know what to think. |
| :-P | Sticking your tongue out / Tungue hanging out in anticipation. |
| :-X | My lips are sealed / A big wet kiss. |
| :-e | Disappointed. |
| ;-) | Say no more (nudge nudge, wink wink). |
| :-x | Kiss, Kiss. |
| :-* | Oops. |
| :-c | Real unhappy |
| :-< | Forlorn |
| :-| | Dead face |
| :-I | Indifferent, better than a Frowning but, not quite as good as happy Smiley / Grim. |
| :-<> | Amazed |
| :-( ) | Shocked |
| :-o zz z z Z Z | Bored |
| :-\ | Thinking |
| :-C | Unbelieving (jaw dropped) /Really bummed out. |
| :-o | "Oh, nooooooo!" |
| :-T | Keeping a straight face |
| :-B | Drooling |
| :-))) | Very emotive (suggested by Kay, Trieste, Italy) |
| Miscellaneous Smilies | |
| (o:o) | Siamese Twins |
| *<|:O) | A Clown |
| |-| | Asleep. |
| |-) | Falling asleep. |
| |-O | Bored. |
| .-) | One eyed. |
| :,( | Crying. |
| :'-( | Crying |
| |^o | Snoring. |
| (-: | Left handed. |
| 8-) | Wearing sun glasses. |
| B-) | Wearing horn rimmed glasses. |
| @@@:-) | Marge Simpson. |
| :-----> | Pinnochio or Liar |
| :) | Smilie without a nose |
| :@) | Smilie with a piggy nose |
| :^) | Smilie with a bent nose |
| :*) | Smilie with a nose of a clown |
| :~) | Smilie with a strange nose |
| :-[] | Robot face |
| :-} | Smilie with a curly smile |
| :-> | Smilie with straight smile Ver. 1 |
| :-] | Smilie with straight smile Ver. 2 |
| :-[ | Count Dracula |
| :-# | Censored / My lips are sealed. |
| :-i | Smoking |
| :-j | Smoking and smiling |
| :-[#] | Smilie with braces |
| :-S | Sick smilie |
| P-) | Pirate |
| !-( | Black-eyed face |
| 0-) | Cyclops smilie |
| %-) | Surfing to long |
| %) | Artistic face |
| :=I | Baboon. |
| :-7 | User made a wry statement |
| [:] | User is a robot |
| :-" | Pursing lips |
| |-( | Late night messages |
| Turned Faces | |
| :^U | Turned face |
| :^Y | Turned poker face |
| :^r | Bleahhh (sticking tongue out) |
| :^y | Turned smiling face |
| :^W | Turned face with tongue out / Speaking with forked tongue. |
| :-V | Shout |
| :-v | Speaking |
| :^" | Pursing lips |
| Smilies with Accessories | |
| :-{) | Smilie with a moutashe |
| {:-) | Smilie with hair |
| @@:) | Smilie with bee-hive hair |
| §:) | Smilie with permed hair |
| [:-) | Wearing a walkman |
| K:-) | Smilie with a graduation hat |
| d:-) | Smilie with a cap |
| C|:-) | Smilie with a bowler hat |
| ]:-) | Smilie with a nurse hat |
| (:-) | Smilie with a skull-cap (or a bicycle helmet) |
| #:-) | Smilie with a fur hat |
| *<:-) | Smilie with hat and pom-pom (cold weather smilie) |
| :-)= | Smilie with beard |
| =|:-)= | Uncle Sam |
| &:-) | Smilie with curly hair |
| @:-) | Smilie with wavy hair |
| B:-) | Sunglasses on head |
| ::) | Wears glasses |
| 8-) | Wearing glasses |
| +<:-| | Monk / Nun |
| Abbreviations | |
| IMHO | In my humble opinion. |
| LOL | Laughing out loud. |
| OTFL | On the floor (laughing). |
| ROTFL | Rolling on the floor (laughing). |
| BRB | Be right back. |
| BTW | By the Way. |
| CYA | See you. |
| CYL8TER | See you later. |
| FYI | For Your information. |
| NE1 | Anyone. |
Smilies were one of the first internet "in" things, as connections were slow and abbreviations saved time. Popular today are "signatures" at the bottom of e-mail messages. Some even attach their "card." Others have sayings, quotes, or as I do, what happened in American History today.
The E-mail Signature Museum has a collection of signatures, short tag lines and ASCII text, included commonly at the bottom of e-mail messages. This collection may give you some ideas on improving yours. Short tag lines and other art.
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Kitm@americanleasing.com