# Can we get rid of the "Dubious" smiley? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 7, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752 "2012-01-07T18:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/1 "2012-01-07T18:35:03Z")
:dubious: It is rarely used to good effect, and seems to serve only to amplify the level of snark in any given thread, especially when certain posters use it all the time when asking for a cite (and the first one that asks me for a cite on that gets a purple nurple). Just my personal opinion - chime in if you agree or disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/2 "2012-01-07T18:58:55Z")
Oh horrors! Snark and asking for cites at a message board built around the works of Cecil Adams? I voted for that smiley when it was submitted for approval because I thought at the time that there wasn’t a smiley that could better illustrate what this place was supposed to be. Getting rid of it would just be admitting that people don’t actually give a crap about approaching the world with a healthy skepticism or critical thinking, and that everyone’s just here to post pictures of their cats and talk about TV shows. Maybe that’s what this place is now. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/3 "2012-01-07T19:12:58Z")
I like it and vote for keeping it. Any element of communication can and will be overused or misused by someone at some point. (Gratuitous LEETing is my pet peeve.) ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/4 "2012-01-07T19:33:16Z")
I agree with the OP. The last thing people should be doing is implying that they don’t fully believe the claims of others. It’s just rude. Polite people believe what they are told. I’d also like to get rid of the confused smiley (which suggests that people aren’t making their points clearly enough) and the cool smiley (it makes me feel inferior for not having nice sunglasses). ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/5 "2012-01-07T20:16:35Z")
Do you really think this is an important issue for the board? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/6 "2012-01-07T20:33:33Z")
Just looks like somebody winking to me (yes, I know there is another winking smiley as well ;)). I don’t get how you can convey being dubious in a smiley. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/7 "2012-01-07T20:46:22Z")
Looks like someone’s winking and drooling. Like they’ve had a stroke or something. Stroke smilie! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/8 "2012-01-07T22:23:48Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I agree with the OP. The last thing people should be doing is implying that they don’t fully believe the claims of others. It’s just rude. Polite people believe what they are told. > > I’d also like to get rid of the confused smiley (which suggests that people aren’t making their points clearly enough) and the cool smiley (it makes me feel inferior for not having nice sunglasses). You almost got me until I got to the second graf. But I agree that the dubious smiley represents exactly what this board should hold most dear. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/9 "2012-01-07T22:32:27Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Just looks like somebody winking to me (yes, I know there is another winking smiley as well ;)). I don’t get how you can convey being dubious in a smiley. 😕 The dubious smiley looks as if it has one eyebrow raised and the other eye is narrowed as if in a side-wise glance. And its mouth is in a thin, tight line, as if its lips are pursed. Just how a person looks when he’s skeptical of something. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/10 "2012-01-07T22:35:13Z")
I’m not particularly smiley-happy in my posts, but I loves me some :dubious:. It’s pretty much the distilled essence of the Dope. (And for that matter, I want ;j back, dammit.) If we’re going to get rid of any emoticons, I not-so-humbly suggest the “I am a smug santimonious douche with no actual point beyond conveying my own sense of self-superiority” smiley, otherwise known as :rolleyes:. I hate that thing with every ounce of loathing that I can bring myself to dedicate to loathing a smiley, which is not that much all told, but still. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/11 "2012-01-07T22:42:25Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Just looks like somebody winking to me… Dubious? I thought it was a pirate. For swashing buckles. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/12 "2012-01-07T22:43:57Z")
I miss the happy Orthodox smiley. I never had cause to use it myself, but it gave me a chuckle whenever someone else used it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/13 "2012-01-07T23:25:41Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > I’m not particularly smiley-happy in my posts, but I loves me some :dubious:. It’s pretty much the distilled essence of the Dope. (And for that matter, I want ;j back, dammit.) > > If we’re going to get rid of any emoticons, I not-so-humbly suggest the “I am a smug santimonious douche with no actual point beyond conveying my own sense of self-superiority” smiley, otherwise known as :rolleyes:. I hate that thing with every ounce of loathing that I can bring myself to dedicate to loathing a smiley, which is not that much all told, but still. I don’t know of a board that doesn’t have a :rolleyes:. Please, it’s just a smiley. Same as :dubious: I still want the puking smiley. (At least a nauseas one) ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/14 "2012-01-07T23:58:26Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The dubious smiley looks as if it has one eyebrow raised and the other eye is narrowed as if in a side-wise glance. And its mouth is in a thin, tight line, as if its lips are pursed. Just how a person looks when he’s skeptical of something. > > :dubious: Can we call it “skeptical” instead of “dubious”? I mean, this 😕 is closer to “dubious” than :dubious: :dubious: says, “Mm-hmm. Yeah, right. Care to explain?” not “Gee, I dunno.” If we’re going to get rid of any smiley, make it the _yawn_ “I so sleepy!” :o “embarrassed” smiley. Not that we couldn’t have an “embarrassed” smiley, but it should look like a blushing, sad face. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/15 "2012-01-08T00:12:02Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > \If we’re going to get rid of any smiley, make it the _yawn_ “I so sleepy!” :o “embarrassed” smiley. Not that we couldn’t have an “embarrassed” smiley, but it should look like a blushing, sad face. Sheesh, everyone knows that’s the blowjob smiley. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/16 "2012-01-08T00:58:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I miss the happy Orthodox smiley. I never had cause to use it myself, but it gave me a chuckle whenever someone else used it. _First they came for the Jewish smiley_… ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/17 "2012-01-08T01:10:24Z")
Me, I want the “[he’s crazy](http://www.wargamer.com/forums/smiley/crazy.gif)” smiley, pretty please? I’d get a lot of mileage out of that one here. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/18 "2012-01-08T01:19:17Z")
As long as it doesn’t move. No blinking or moving smilies! ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/19 "2012-01-08T05:01:35Z")
@ **John DiFool** : Thanks for the link! Lots of lovely smilies there. I like [this](http://www.wargamer.com/forums/smiley/balloonzg3.gif) all-purpose smiley. [This](http://www.wargamer.com/forums/smiley/popcornwatch.gif) smiley is particularly useful when emotions run high on another board I frequent. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/20 "2012-01-08T05:12:46Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > _First they came for the Jewish smiley_… I get the joke…but technically, I think they came for the “Putz” smiley first. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752.md?page=2)