Emoticons

The information in this document is found at:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-emoticons.htm

The word emoticon is a combination of the words emotion and icon. Emoticons are used
online to covey intonation or voice inflection, bodily gestures and emotion behind
statements that might otherwise be misinterpreted.

The most common emoticon is a smiley face, made with the colon for eyes, and the left
parenthesis as the smile, viewed at a 90-degree angle. :)

Sometimes a dash is used between the eyes and mouth to indicate a nose. :-)

This emoticon is normally used to convey light heartedness, happiness, facetiousness or

joking. To see the difference an emoticon can make, just look at the following two
statements:

Yeah, James, you looked like a real geek. or...

Yeah, James, you looked like a real geek. :)

Whether or not James would consider a being a "geek" a badge of honor or an insult, the
first statement minus the emoticon looks like it is surely intended to be an insult. The
second statement, however, with its smiling face is very clearly intended to be taken in a
playful manner and is not likely to cause offense.

Emoticons play an important part in online communication because the vast majority of
people communicating have never met and do not know each other well, if at all.
Misinterpretation of intentions is all too easy, minus the facial expressions and verbal
inflections that face-to-face communication affords.

Emoticons are often used when children text each other or when they communicate via
online chat rooms. It is important that adults understand what each emoticon represents
because as with any form of communication there are certain emoticons that can be
considered tasteful and some that are distasteful.

Below is a list of some of the most popular emoticons used.

O:-) Angel

X-( Angry

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:-D Big Grin

(*v*) Bird

</3 Broken Heart

=^.^= Cat

*<:o) Clown

O.o Confused

:-S Confused

B-) Cool

:_( Crying

:'( Crying

*-* Dazed

:o3 Dog

#-o Doh!

:*) Drunk

>:) Evil Grin

<>< Fish

:-( Frown

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:( Frown

:-( Frowning

=P Frustrated

:-P Frustrated

8-) Glasses

$_$ Greedy

:-> Grin

=) Happy

:-) Happy

:) Happy

# Hashtag

<3 Heart

{} Hug

:-| Indifferent

X-p Joking

:-)* Kiss

:-* Kiss

XD Laughing

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=D Laughing Out Loud

)-: Left-handed Sad Face

(-: Left-handed Smiley Face

<3 Love

=/ Mad

@ Mention

<:3)~ Mouse

~,~ Napping

:-B Nerd

^_^ Overjoyed

@~)~~~~ Rose

=( Sad

:-( Sad

:( Sad

:-7 Sarcastic

:-@ Screaming

=O Shocked

:-o Shocked

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:-) Smile

:) Smile

:> Smug

:P Sticking Tongue Out

:o Surprised

:-J Tongue in Cheek

:-& Tongue Tied

=-O Uh-oh

:-\ Undecided

:/ Unsure

:-E Vampire

=D Very Happy

;-) Winking

;) Winking

|-O Yawn

Footnote

Please be advised that the information above is offered in good faith. Users taking up the
information need to ascertain for themselves the effectiveness of emoticons.

Andy Ryan
West Kirby Primary School
Michael McManus
Every Child Matters
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Discovery CLC

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