# What does :P mean to you?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698>\
**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:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/21 "2009-03-27T19:35:40Z")

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> [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](#):
>
> Just like “LOL”, I interpret it as “I’m stupid.”

LOL, you’re awesome. 😛

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**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 29, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/22 "2009-03-29T18:36:13Z")

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> [@Tahssa](#):
>
> LOL, you’re awesome. 😛

😛

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/23 "2009-03-29T19:13:03Z")

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It means exactly nothing to me.

I always assumed it meant somebody typo-ed when trying for the code for some smiley.

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/24 "2009-03-29T19:41:43Z")

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It sounds like I need to be more careful when using smileys because not everyone agrees with what they mean!

I always thought : ) meant “just kidding” and that : p meant “I’m being cheeky / just teasing”, with the distinction being necessary sometimes.

e.g. If you’re teasing a friend about how drunk they got on a recent night out, a : ) indicates you’re joking, but it still may come across as passive-aggressive; like you’re trying to indicate your disapproval in a light-hearted way.  
But if you finish the joke with : p it’s interpreted (I thought) as “just teasing”, the way friends do; you expect the respondent to come back with a tease of her own.  
Oh, and I agree that the stick out tongue emoticon on SD (:p) looks misleading. It looks like someone chuckling. It doesn’t convey cheeky to me.

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-p-mean-to-you/490698/25 "2009-03-30T13:47:45Z")

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I think of it as sticking out your tongue, which as in real life, can either be funny or rude depending on context.

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