# What does :P mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698 "2009-03-25T02:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/1 "2009-03-25T02:51:00Z")
I always thought it meant “just kidding”, but I suppose it’s actually “sticking out your tongue” – which, of course, I don’t do in real life after a joke. Not even a really bad one. Am I the only one who thinks that? Do I need a smiley spellchecker now? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/2 "2009-03-25T02:57:01Z")
People don’t actually roll on the floor laughing, even after a good joke… do they? And if they laugh their asses off… do they grow a new one? Or get it reattached? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/3 "2009-03-25T03:00:49Z")
😛 ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/4 "2009-03-25T03:04:12Z")
I’ve always thought of it as the **lol** -ling tongue. Just a funny face. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/5 "2009-03-25T03:17:20Z")
Oh, how I’ve wished that I really could laugh or work my ass off! But I digress. I’ve always used 😛 to signify that I’m being goofy, as though I were making a silly face where my tongue was hanging out one side of my mouth. My use of it is definitely more akin to “just kidding” than sticking one’s tongue out. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/6 "2009-03-25T03:32:57Z")
Yeah, it’s a goofy “just kidding” or “I’m being silly” face. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/7 "2009-03-25T03:46:19Z")
Someone doesn’t know about the Thorn character? Oh, ok, here: > **[Thorn (letter)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9E)** > > Thorn or þorn (Þ, þ) is a letter in the Old English, Old Norse, Old Swedish and modern Icelandic alphabets, as well as modern transliterations of the Gothic alphabet, Middle Scots, and some dialects of Middle English. It was also used in medieval Scandinavia, but was later replaced with the digraph th, except in Iceland, where it survives. The letter originated from the rune .mw-parser-output .script-runic{font-family:"BabelStone Runic Beagnoth","BabelStone Runic Beorhtnoth","BabelStone Runic Beo... So there :-Þ ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/8 "2009-03-25T03:47:09Z")
Just like “LOL”, I interpret it as “I’m stupid.” ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/9 "2009-03-25T03:53:46Z")
Harsh… I was never much for smileys, but I still regularly used “lol”/ “LOL” up until I quit instant messaging a year or so ago (though only when I _actually_ laughed out loud, using other indicators for other degrees of humor-appreciation; to me and certain friends, the whole point was to give proper feedback). Interestingly, on these boards, I seem to be the opposite; I don’t think I’ve ever used “lol” here but I’m not above the occasional disambiguating smiley (as makes sense, considering the local linguistic norms and perhaps just the different culture of a messageboard vs. an IM conversation between friends). Anyway, I agree with everyone so far: 😛 generally denotes “I’m just goofing around”. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/10 "2009-03-25T04:04:43Z")
In my own posts, I’ve always used it as shorthand for _“Yeah, I know this is sort of lame. So what?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/11 "2009-03-25T04:06:03Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Harsh… I don’t mean to be. It’s not a conscious decision. It’s just my gut reaction. For the record, I’ve only seen “LOL” in emails. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/12 "2009-03-25T04:14:32Z")
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I always interpret 😛 or 😛 as razzing someone or blowing a raspberry. For “just kidding,” I use a winky smilie, or 😉 ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/13 "2009-03-25T18:42:26Z")
Huh, I always interpreted it as meaning ‘I just did something stupid.’ Like letting your tongue hang out instead of sticking it out. I guess because 😛 looks kind of squinty and bleh. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/14 "2009-03-25T18:49:47Z")
[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mug](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mug) > [@](#): > > To make exaggerated facial expressions, especially for humorous effect: The partygoers mugged for the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/15 "2009-03-25T18:53:54Z")
An indication of sarcasm, irony, or a lame joke. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/16 "2009-03-26T18:50:32Z")
Until I got here (actually, until well after I got here), I thought 😛 meant you had your tongue sticking out because you were nauseous/exhausted/feeling blah; I couldn’t figure out why people were using it with jokes… Also, to me the the corresponding SDMB smiley ( 😛 ) just looks like it is laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Floppy\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@Floppy\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floppy_Joe)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/17 "2009-03-26T20:07:16Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Someone doesn’t know about the Thorn character? THORN character!!! It now has a name. I’ve been wondering for years what that was called!!! \>;~Þ ---
**Author:** ![sovtawen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@sovtawen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sovtawen)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/18 "2009-03-26T21:18:13Z")
I take it to mean: “I’m teasing you in a very lighthearted/whimsical manner” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/19 "2009-03-27T19:22:10Z")
I take it as teasing, poking fun. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/20 "2009-03-27T19:24:27Z")
I take it as a neener neener, but I love you anyway, so I’m being cheeky. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698.md?page=2)