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From: emrath@uiuccsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Easily Amused  :-) - (nf)
Message-ID: <2611@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Aug-83 23:32:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2611
Posted: Sun Aug 21 23:32:55 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Aug-83 09:16:31 EDT
Lines: 18

#N:uiuccsb:9900012:000:698
uiuccsb!emrath    Aug 21 03:33:00 1983

One of the first few times I saw this ---->     :-)

it was explained that it meant a light, joking, or facetious statement
was being made, since it was learned that in net land, such
statements are often easily misunderstood and can ruffle feathers.
Okay, so I knew what it meant, but I figured that surely it
should be paired with (-: and bracket the statement(s), sorta like
quote marks. I mean, what's a ) without a (?

A while later, I read the explanation that somebody picked  :-)
for this purpose because it looks like a sideways smiley face.

Now I see these things all over the place, and every time
I see one, I can't help but see that sideways smiley face -
		AND IT JUST CRACKS ME UP!