8^D Are you light on the lingo? Nonverbal Emails – aka Emoticons
June 25, 2009 – 8:23 am
Remember that Seinfeld commercial when he travels around Scotland because he’s “light on the lingo?” If you are anything like me, chances are you have a younger generation sending you emails with abbreviations and symbols like this “8^D” that seem foreign to you as well. So today, in an effort to balance the weight of recent negative news about everything from infidelity to insurgency, I bring you this new language. Anyone under 30 will have to forgive me for calling it new since it’s been around for at least 10 years. Everyone else will breathe a sigh of relief because now you have something to help you understand your kids and grandkids.
Here is the language of the Smiley Face, a.k.a. the Emoticon. You know it, you’ve seen it, but do you really know the lingo? Take the test and then look up the answers here: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/smileys.html
When the list was written in 2003 there were 2227 one-line symbols that represented emotions or gifts. Today that number has probably tripled but I will only bring you the highlights. For my extremely literal readers, here’s a hint: tilt your head sideways toward your left shoulder to see them.
Have Fun,
:>
;>
B-)
8-)
8-(
:-J
:-#
:-$
:-&
:-*
=)
<:-)
|-(
:^)
:*)
:-{#}
&:-)
@:-)
#:-)
O:-)
C=:-)
}<////>
)-:
K-
<:>==
…—…
O:O
@*&$!%
2B|^2B
(O–<
@}->–
