Archived from http://paul.merton.ox.ac.uk/ascii/smileys.html, which
is sadly no longer available.
The Unofficial Smiley Dictionary
This "Unofficial Smiley Dictionary" is only one of many different collections
by various "editors" you'll come across at many places on the Net, e.g. you can
get "The-Smiley-File" from `gopher.world.std.com'; and even a complete booklet
has been written on smileys and is available as:
David W. Sanderson (ed.), "Smileys", O'Reilly & Associates,
Sebastopol, CA. 93 pages. ISBN 1-56592-041-4. Price $5.95 (US).
Basic Smileys
- :-) Your basic smiley. This smiley is used to inflect a
sarcastic or joking statement since we can't hear voice inflection over
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 `:-(' but not quite as
good as a `:-)'.
- :-> 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.
Widely used 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.
- :-)-8 User is a Big 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 juust made a wry statement.
- :-* User just ate something sour.
- :-)~ User drools.
- :-~) User has a cold.
- :'-( User is crying.
- :'-) User is so happy, s/he is crying.
- :-@ User is screaming.
- :-# User wears braces.
- :^) User has a broken nose.
- :v) User has a broken nose, but it's the other way.
- :_) User's nose is sliding off of his face.
- :<) User is from an Ivy League School.
- :-& User is tongue tied.
- =:-) User is a hosehead.
- -:-) User is a punk rocker.
- -:-( Real punk rockers don't smile.
- :=) User has two noses.
- +-:-) User is the Pope or holds some other religious office.
- `:-) User shaved one of his eyebrows off this morning.
- ,:-) Same thing...other side.
- |-I User is asleep.
- |-O User is yawning/snoring.
- :-Q User is a smoker.
- :-? User smokes a pipe.
- O-) Megaton Man On Patrol! (or else, user is a scuba diver)
- O :-) User is an angel (at heart, at least).
- :-` User spitting out its chewing tobacco.
- :-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 Chinese.
- <|-( User is Chinese and doesn't like these kind of jokes.
- :-/ User is skeptical.
- C=:-) User is a chef.
- @= User is pro-nuclear war.
- *<:-) 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.
- d8= Your pet beaver is wearing goggles and a hard hat.
- E-:-) User is a Ham radio operator.
- :-9 User is licking his/her lips.
- %-6 User is braindead.
- [:-) User is wearing a walkman.
- (:I User is an egghead.
- <:-I User is a dunce.
- K:P User is a little kid with a propeller beenie.
- @:-) User is wearing a turban.
- :-0 No Yelling! (Quiet Lab)
- :-: Mutant smiley; the invisible smiley.
- .-) User only has one eye.
- ,-) Ditto...but he's winking.
- X-( User just died.
- 8 :-) User is a wizard.
- -=* :-) User is a TeX wizard.
Midget Smileys
A lot of these can be typed without noses to make midget smileys.
- :) Midget smiley.
- :] Gleep...a friendly midget smiley who will gladly be your
friend.
- =) Variation on a theme...
- :} What should we call these? (what?)
- :) Happy.
- :> What?
- :@ What?
- :D Laughter.
- :I Hmmm...
- :( Sad.
- :[ Real Downer.
- :< What?
- :{ What?
- :O Yelling.
- :C What?
- :Q What?
- :,( Crying.
- [] Hugs and ...
- :* Kisses.
- |I Asleep.
- ^o Snoring.
Mega Smileys
- C=}>;*{)) A drunk, devilish chef with a toupee in an updraft, a
mustache, and a double chin.
- }:^#}) Updrafted bushy-mustached pointy nosed smiley with a
double-chin.
Usenet Smileys
In some Usenet articles you might also find these smileys which form a
certain "dialect" developed and used in this most creative environment.
- ~~:-( Net.flame
- O |-) Net.religion
- 8 :-I Net.unix-wizards
- X-( Net.suicide
- E-:-I Net.ham-radio
Emotional Smileys
- :-) ha ha
- |-) hee hee
- |-D ho ho
- :-> hey hey
- :-( boo hoo
- :-I hmmm
- :-O oops
- :-P nyahhhh!