# I like smilies.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 29, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823 "2010-10-29T21:48:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823/21 "2010-10-30T19:56:41Z")

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Smilies are, by the way, under the protection of the First.

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**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823/22 "2010-10-30T21:54:13Z")

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## Sarcasm doesn’t work very well in print.

The best smilies are softeners – they take the edge off of the overly harsh written word. Smacky was an improvement over Embarrassed. Mr. Dubious is milder than Rollyeyes. Some years back I created :WellOk: , an alternative to winky:

[http://wm55.inbox.com/thumbs/2c\_130b92\_3bbb2b38\_oG.gif.thumb](http://wm55.inbox.com/thumbs/2c_130b92_3bbb2b38_oG.gif.thumb)

## I tried to make it a little less cutesy. It would be used to convey a friendly but less-than-hilarious tone. I haven’t worked out a good label though. :wry: and :bemused: are 2 alternatives.

Emoticons are challenging to design. ::Shakes head:: might be a good candidate. Along the same lines, it might be easier to convey :: pensive ::.

::Lick Lips:: is pointless IMHO: it doesn’t soften and the idea can be adequately communicated in words.

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For your consideration, I submit this collection of anime emoticons: [http://mypages.iit.edu/~jfas/articles/animeemoticons.html](http://mypages.iit.edu/~jfas/articles/animeemoticons.html)  
Unlike the Western versions, they do not require readers to tilt their heads sideways.  
_\__

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**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823/23 "2010-10-30T22:52:14Z")

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If The Powers That Be would enable the [IMG] tags, we could all use [http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php](http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php) to our little heart’s content.

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**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823/24 "2010-10-30T23:13:38Z")

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Barfing smilie. That is definitely the one I need most often.

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**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:** [October 30, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-smilies/558823/25 "2010-10-30T23:50:39Z")

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Edited – didn’t someone actually design a puking smiley?

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