# Why is the "Putz!" smiley called Wally?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-putz-smiley-called-wally/146119>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [January 2, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-putz-smiley-called-wally/146119 "2003-01-02T00:25:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-putz-smiley-called-wally/146119/1 "2003-01-02T00:25:41Z")

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What is the signifigance behind the name of the :wally smiley?

Is it some kind of “in memory” thing of Wally who died?  
I wasn’t at the SDMB when Wally died, but I know the story.

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-putz-smiley-called-wally/146119/2 "2003-01-02T00:35:55Z")

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You got it right on the first try. It’s an hommage to **WallyM7** , who tragically died in May 2000. He used the term “putz” frequently, although it was often in jest. We decided to create a smilie, named after him.

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**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-putz-smiley-called-wally/146119/3 "2003-01-02T00:43:26Z")

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Thanks for clueing me in, **Coldfire**!