Smiley Faces are used to help a reader understand the intention or emotions of the writer. It can often be difficult or impossible for someone reading an e-mail message to know if the sender was being serious, sarcastic, or silly. These simple symbols can prevent many misunderstandings.
The following table was compiled from a number of sources, none of which listed the original author.
Basic Smiley Faces:
:-)
Your basic smiley. This smiley is used to inflect a sarcastic or joking statement since we can't hear voice inflection in e-mail. ;-)
Winky smiley. User just made a flirtatious and/or sarcastic remark. More of a "don't hit me for what I just said" smiley. :-(
Frowning smiley. User did not like that last statement or is upset or depressed about something. :-I
Indifferent smiley. Better than a Frowning smiley but not quite as good as a happy smiley :->
User just made a really biting sarcastic remark. Worse than a :-). >:->
User just made a really devilish remark. >;->
Winky and devil combined. A very lewd remark was just made. A Random Assortment of Somewhat Less Common Smileys:
(-:
User is left handed %-)
User has been staring at a green screen for 15 hours straight :*)
User is drunk [:]
User is a robot 8-)
User is wearing sunglasses B:-)
Sunglasses on head ::-)
User wears normal glasses B-)
User wears horn-rimmed glasses 8:-)
User is a little girl :-{)
User has a mustache :-{}
User wears lipstick {:-)
User wears a toupee }:-(
Toupee in an updraft :-[
User is a Vampire :-E
Bucktoothed vampire :-F
Bucktoothed vampire with one tooth missing :-7
User just made a wry statement :-*
User just ate something sour ;-(
User is crying ;-)
User is so happy, s/he is crying :-@
User is screaming :-#
User wears braces :^)
User has a broken nose :-&
User is tongue tied. |-I
User is asleep |-O
User is yawning/snoring :-Q
User is a smoker :-?
User smokes a pipe O :-)
User is an angel (at heart, at least) :-P
Nyahhhh! :-S
User just made an incoherent statement :-D
User is laughing (at you!) :-X
User's lips are sealed :-C
User is really bummed :-/
User is skeptical C=:-)
User is a chef *<:-)
User is wearing a Santa Claus Hat :-o
Uh oh! (8-o
It's Mr. Bill! *:o)
And Bozo the Clown! 3:]
Pet smiley 3:[
Mean Pet smiley [:-)
User is wearing a walkman (:I
User is an egghead <:-I
User is a dunce
E-mail E-mail
Etiquette Smileys