# Little help on O\_o **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979 "2004-04-08T16:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/1 "2004-04-08T16:07:37Z")
Someone please take pity on an old fart. Within the past couple of weeks, there seems to have been an outbreak of posters using the “O\_o” in the middle of their posts. I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is supposed to indicate. Is it, like, a raised eyebrow or what? Bonus question: when someone states “Pfffft” in a post, is that supposed to be the equivalent of a Bronx Cheer? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/2 "2004-04-08T16:36:06Z")
Yeah, the O\_o is supposed to be a raised eyebrow. I think it’s popped upm recently because the “dubious” smilie was lost in the last upgrade. Another one that you might see is O\_O , which is roughly equivalent to :eek: Dunno about the “Pfffffft” thing, however. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/3 "2004-04-08T16:59:34Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Bonus question: when someone states “Pfffft” in a post, is that supposed to be the equivalent of a Bronx Cheer? I’ve always taken that to be the sound of dismissal, which sounds like, well, “pfffftt.” You know, the kind of sound you make while exhaling forcibly with pursed lips. ---
**Author:** ![back\_online](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@back\_online](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/back_online)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/4 "2004-04-08T18:05:28Z")
this is the funniest one I’ve read recently… to mean kiss my butt: (_._) ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/5 "2004-04-08T18:27:01Z")
I think O\_o is part of the growing trend of folks using Japanese smilies. What’s up with the use of “\<3” all of a sudden? It took me ages to figure out what people meant when they said something like “I \<3 the new Halo game!”. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/6 "2004-04-08T18:59:51Z")
0\_o is an offshoot from Ultima Online players and their ‘ghosts’, from what I know of. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/7 "2004-04-08T19:15:45Z")
Turn that \<3 sideways and it looks like a heart. “I \ the new Halo game!” ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/8 "2004-04-08T19:24:33Z")
I’ve always taken (o\_O) to be a kind of boggled expression. I also like (-\_-), for sleepy. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/9 "2004-04-08T19:30:23Z")
That’s a mighty large sig you have there, Bambi. O\_o has a great feeling to it… and it’s a non sideways ‘motie’. Dubious or confused. ( o )( o ) for boobs, -\_o for winking…etc. (I like the boobs one).🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/10 "2004-04-08T19:47:03Z")
O\_o reminds of the the DOS version of NetHack – if you read a scroll of punishment, you had to drag a ball and chain around: @_o ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/11 "2004-04-08T19:54:13Z")
I always represent a Bronx Cheer/Raspberry as “Pbbbbbbbbt!” More plosives and much bumpier looking. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/12 "2004-04-08T19:58:21Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > That’s a mighty large sig you have there, Bambi. I thought we were allowed four lines, yes? I shrunk the font to make it smaller. When I make a post that’s not a one-liner, it doesn’t look so outsized. Also, I keep forgetting to uncheck the show box. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/13 "2004-04-09T05:12:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always taken that to be the sound of dismissal, which sounds like, well, “pfffftt.” You know, the kind of sound you make while exhaling forcibly with pursed lips. > [@Max Carnage](#): > > I always represent a Bronx Cheer/Raspberry as “Pbbbbbbbbt!” More plosives and much bumpier looking. agree with these two. took me a O.o? before i realised what a bronx cheer is. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sarang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jack\_Sarang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sarang)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/14 "2004-04-09T10:02:37Z")
In MMORPG circles 0.o means “carebear” or a player who is afraid to fight other players and only wants to fight monsters in safety. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/15 "2004-04-09T14:05:20Z")
In the thread “Is there any reason that semen would be bad for my fish?” (which is soon to be a classic) a poster writes: PFPFPFPFPFTTTTTTTTTT! Thanks. It’s new monitor time. So my assumption is that “PFFFT” IS the sound of whatever liquid you’re drinking being forcibly expelled as a reaction to whatever you’re reading on the screen. Sort of like a Bronx Cheer, only with more props. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/16 "2004-04-09T18:37:44Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > So my assumption is that “PFFFT” IS the sound of whatever liquid you’re drinking being forcibly expelled as a reaction to whatever you’re reading on the screen. What is a Spit Take, Alex? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/17 "2004-04-09T18:47:53Z")
You know, I’m a lover of slapstick, and I should have realized that was a ‘Spit Take’. Danny Thomas was a master of that, usually with coffee. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/18 "2004-04-09T19:08:00Z")
I’ve always taken “Pfffffffffffffffffffft!” to be an exasperated/incredulous blowing-air-out-from-between-closed-lips sound, while “Pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt!” was a Bronx cheer/raspberry. And as long as we’re exchanging new-style smilies, I’m rather fond of the anime-happy-smile: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/19 "2004-04-09T19:08:47Z")
Didn’t there used to be an SDMB member who’s user name was **O\_o**? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979/20 "2004-04-09T20:30:27Z")
and ( \>\< ) is of course BEEFCAKE!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-help-on-o_o/238979.md?page=2)