# The Alphorn icon **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 24, 2000, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370 "2000-09-24T16:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/1 "2000-09-24T16:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*sdimbert, you should know by know that when someone starts a post (as you did) with the words “I hate to pick nits”, some wise guy (in this case your humble servant) will immediately show up and try to pick nits in the nit-picking post. > By the way, when are you going to create a smiley showing a swiss man with an alphorn? Your graphic skills are needed! ;j \*\* sdimbert answered the call with this: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sdimbert \* > \*\*Well, [here](http://www.geocities.com/sdimbert/alphorn.gif) goes… > BTW, I had to look “aphalon” up. Is there a special name for the hat with the feather? \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*A noble effort sdimbert! Thank you very much. However I will agree with the previous posters that to me it doesn’t look indubitably like an alphorn. An alphorn is longer, though Chronos was slightly exaggerating. Alphorns are usually between 1.5 and 4.5 metres. Also the hat with the feather in it is an austrian custom, not really swiss. > Here is a [picture of an alphorn from Encylopædia Britannica](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/single_image/0,5716,9090+asmbly%5Fid,00.html). \*\* Ok, I just had to try it myself _ **This one’s for you, Arnold ~ enjoy!** _ \*\* [http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/illustrations/](http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/illustrations/) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/2 "2000-09-24T16:45:45Z")
Oh, wow, that’s a good one. Little large for a smiley icon, but you had to fit the horn somehow. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/3 "2000-09-24T18:51:02Z")
And here’s Arnold’s hat \*\* [http://www.maths.uq.oz.au/~keg/yodel/hat.gif](http://www.maths.uq.oz.au/~keg/yodel/hat.gif) \*\* (😕 why is the site in Australia?) ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/4 "2000-09-24T19:02:53Z")
And here’s the Austrian hat with the feather \*\* [http://worldroots.clicktron.com/brigitte/gifs7/ferdinandaustria1529.jpg](http://worldroots.clicktron.com/brigitte/gifs7/ferdinandaustria1529.jpg) \*\* (early version, I guess. Now they’re more like fedoras) ---
**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/5 "2000-09-25T00:57:51Z")
**tshirts** : That’s sneaky! I never thought of using a photographic element! Although, I have to say that adding a body somehow pollutes the “smiley” form… Just my 2 cents. Nice Job! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/6 "2000-09-25T04:22:34Z")
Thanks. I liked yours, too. It would work- they just wanted a longer horn. (And I liked the feather in the hat, but then I’m Austrian.) re: “adding a body somehow pollutes the “smiley” form…” That it does. Also the photo part. Also the part where it doesn’t emulate a facial expression. And I have no idea how it would be used in a post. Fortunately for me I’m not much of a purist. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/7 "2000-09-25T12:44:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Fortunately for me I’m not much of a purist. You know, that would make a GREAT sig. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/8 "2000-09-25T17:20:07Z")
I’m saving it to carve on my art deco tombstone. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2000, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/9 "2000-09-28T19:37:32Z")
Might as well link this to the other recent smiley thread: \*\* [New Smilie Suggestion \*\*](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=40074) ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/10 "2000-10-06T13:52:12Z")
Speaking of the Alps, did you happen to see yesterday’s **Close To Home** cartoon? The caption reads "Suddenly Bruce understood why he’d been able to get his apartment for half the price of comparable apartments. It shows Bruce looking out the window as a huge voice balloon says “Yodel-ay-ee-hoo!” and it’s coming from the “American College of Alpine Yodeling” just below him. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sue)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/11 "2000-10-08T19:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*When are you going to create a smiley showing a swiss man with an alphorn? Your graphic skills are needed! ;j \*\* \*\*sub         [/sub]O         º       sub)[/sub]         +         A         " \*\* **sub         [/sub]O         º       [sub];j[/sub]** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/12 "2000-10-10T01:43:32Z")
**Sweet Sue** , I hate to burst your bubble :(, but **Arnold Winkelried** is, as of this summer, happily married. If you were referring to **sdimbert** , who created the ;j smiley, I think he’s married, too, although I’m not certain. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Soupy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Soupy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soupy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/13 "2000-10-10T02:03:21Z")
Looks to me like her boyfriend is the ;j smiliey itself. Smilies have SO’s too, don’t they? Like cartoon characters, like Minnie has Mickey. _Sweet Sue and happy orthodox jewish man, sitting in a tree…_ ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-alphorn-icon/34370/14 "2000-10-10T14:47:40Z")
Thank you **sdimbert** and **tshirts** for your noble efforts. I like **tshirts** ’ alphorn, but I agree with **Kat** that the icon seems a little too large for a smiley. Yes, **tshirts** , I did see that “Close To Home” drawing. The poor sap should have been honoured to live above a yodeling school. **Chronos** , I think **Soupy** is right, and then **Sweet Sue** was referring to the ;j smiley, and not to me. I think I may try my hand at the swiss smiley myself. If I come up with anything good, I will post my results here.