Smilies, Emotive Icons, or Emoticons
Smilies, or Emoticons, are now a common language for an entire generation. Even a decade ago they were new to many people, but now they have evolved from combinations of letters and punctuation marks into a vast range of small graphics based upon the round yellow pak-man figure.
As well as being useful shortcuts, they enable you to convey emotions through text. You can sound sad, happy, cheeky or just 'normal'. Without emoticons, conveying emotions with written text is difficult, sometimes almost impossible, because the recipient can't see or hear you.
The phrase "I bet you just loved that." is a good example. Did the writer really mean that you loved it, or was there a hint of sarcasm intended?
Unfortunately, it's possible not only to confuse people but offend them too if they happen to read what they think you wrote rather than what you actually said. To overcome this little problem you can use Smilies, or Emotive icons (Emoticons) as the technically minded call them.
As well as being a handy reference tool, this page can also be used for innovative lessons in English and Citizenship.
A selection of common text emoticons
Angry = :-||
Bald = (:-)
Batman = B-)
Bearded = :-)>
Black eye = ?-)
Bow tie = :-)X
Bushy eyebrows = |:-)
Chinese = <|-)
Cow = 3:-)
Crying = :'-(
Drooling = :-)'
Duck = {:V
Elvis = 5:-)
Evil grin = >:-)
Glasses = 8-)
Got a cold = :*)
Got a cold = :-')
Happy = :-)
Jaw hits floor = :-C
Kiss (1) = :-#
Kiss (2) = :-X
Laughing out loud = :-D
Leering = :-}
Monkey = :-|
Moustache (1) = :-{
Moustache (2) = :-#
Needs a haircut = (-)
Pipe smoker = :-?
Punk = =:-)
Robocop = |:]
Saint = O:-)
Screaming = :-@
Shocked = :-O
Shouting = :-V
Silly question = <:-)
Sleeping = |-)
Smoking (1) = :-i
Smoking (2) = :-Q
Speaks with forked tongue = :-w
Stoned = *-)
Undecided = :-/
Vampire (1) = :-<
Vampire (2) = :-[
Very happy = :-))
Very sad = :-((
Wearing bowler hat = C|:-)
Wearing a cap = d:-)
Wearing headphones = [:-)
Wearing teeth braces = :-(#)
Winking = ;-)
Wry smile :-7
Yawning = |-O
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