# stupid smileys

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 16, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253 "2003-06-16T17:39:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sillybee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@sillybee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sillybee)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253/1 "2003-06-16T17:39:10Z")

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ok got a question you answered where smileys came from but i wanna know why are they yellow of all colors?

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**Author:** ![Amethyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Amethyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amethyst)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253/2 "2003-06-16T20:18:43Z")

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Probably because in the 70’s, the happy face picture was originally yellow.

Here is a link on the (disputed) creation of the happy face:  
[http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/07/fringe.smiley.face.off/](http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/07/fringe.smiley.face.off/)

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253/3 "2003-06-16T23:15:18Z")

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This is doubtless in reaction to **Cecil** ’s long saga of the origin of the smiley face (recounted[here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_031.html)), so I’ll send it up to C on CC.

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**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253/4 "2003-06-16T23:25:13Z")

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The origin of the smiley face is a long, drawn-out story, but [Cecil knows the answer](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_031.html) (although it took a long time for him to get there!).

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**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-smileys/182253/5 "2003-06-16T23:26:43Z")

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Hmmm, looks like Manhattan beat me by a long-shot to my unrefreshed response.