Emoticons

I have to admit that I really like these little add-ins when used correctly. The problem is that I don't know what they all actually mean and my own vocabulary of them consists of about 3.

:) Happy
:( Sad
;) Wink - but I don't really know what this means in an email or IM.

Does anyone really know what these mean? Is there really a standard out there that we follow or do we all interpret them our own way? I find this all to be pretty confusing.

I decided to do a little Googling on this to see what I can find. Here's what I found here on computeruser.com. (This is way too much for me remember!!!)
==============

Emoticons are facial expressions made by a certain series of keystrokes. Most often producing an image of a face sideways.

!-( Black eye !-) Proud of black eye #-) Wiped out, partied all night #:-o Shocked $-) Won the lottery, or money on the brain %(|:-) Â Propeller-head %*} Inebriated %+{ Got beat up %-( Confused %-) Dazed or silly %-6 Brain-dead %-\ Hung over %-{ Ironic %-| Worked all night %-} Humorous or ironic %\ Hangover >>:-<< Furious >- Female >-> Winking devil >-< Furious >-) Devilish wink >:) Little devil >:-> Very mischievous devil >:-< Angry >:-< Mad >:-( Annoyed >:-) Mischievous devil >=^ P Yuck <:> Devilish expression <:-> Devilish expression <:-( Dunce <:-) Innocently asking dumb question <:-| Dunce <:| Dunce ( 8(|) Homer ( <> .. <> ) alienated (( )):** Hugs and kisses ((())) Lots of hugging (initials or a name can be put in the middle of the one being hugged) () Hugging (-: Left-handed smile, or smiley from the southern hemisphere (:& Angry (:- Unsmiley (:-& Angry (:-( Unsmiley (:-) Smiley variation (:-* Kiss (:-\ Very sad (::()::) Bandaid, meaning comfort (:| Egghead * Kiss *<:-) Santa Claus *<|:-) Santa Claus, or a clown *-) Shot to death +<:-) Religious leader +<:-| Monk or nun +<||-) Knight +:-) Priest +O:-) The Pope -) Tongue in cheek -= Snuffed candle to end a flame message -=#:-) Wizard /\/\/\ Laughter 0:-) Angel 12x@>--->--- A dozen roses 2B|^2B To be or not to be 5:-) Elvis 7:) Ronald Reagan 7:^) Ronald Reagan 8 Infinity 8 :-) Wizard 8) Wide-eyed, or wearing glasses 8-# Death 8-) Wide-eyed, or wearing glasses 8-o Shocked 8-O Astonished 8-P Yuck! 8-[ Frayed nerves; overwrought 8-] Wow! 8-| Wide-eyed surprise : ( Sad : ) Smile : [ Bored, sad : | Bored, sad :( ) Loudmouth, talks all the time; or shouting :* Kiss :*) Clowning :**: Returning kiss :+( Got punched in the nose :,( Crying :- Male :-# My lips are sealed; or someone wearing braces :-& Tongue-tied :-> Smile of happiness or sarcasm :->< Puckered up to kiss :-< Very sad :-( Frown :-) Classic smiley :-* Kiss :-, Smirk :-/ Wry face :-6 Exhausted :-9 Licking lips :-? Licking lips, or tongue in cheek :-@ Screaming :-C Astonished :-c Very unhappy :-D Laughing :-d~ Heavy smoker :-e Disappointed :-f Sticking out tongue :-I Pondering, or impartial :-i Wry smile or half-smile :-J Tongue in cheek :-j One-sided smile :-k Puzzlement :-l One-sided smile :-M Speak no evil :-O Open-mouthed, surprised :-o Surprised look, or yawn

:-P Sticking out tongue :-p Sticking tongue out :-p~ Heavy smoker :-Q Tongue hanging out in disgust, or a smoker :-Q~ Smoking :-r Sticking tongue out :-s What?! :-t Unsmiley :-V Shouting :-X My lips are sealed; or a kiss :-x Kiss, or My lips are sealed :-Y Aside comment :-[ Unsmiling blockhead; also criticism :-\'| Sniffles :-] Smiling blockhead; also sarcasm :-{) Smile with moustache :-{)} Smile with moustache and beard :-{} Blowing a kiss :-| Indifferent, bored or disgusted :-| :-| Deja vu :-|| Very angry :-} Mischievous smile :-~) A cold :-~| A cold :.( Crying :/) Not funny :/i No smoking :> What? :@ What? :C Astonished :e Disappointed :P Sticking out tongue :X Hear no evil :x Kiss :\' Crying :\'( Crying :\'-( Crying :\'-) Tears of happiness :^D Happy, approving :`-( Shedding a tear :{ Having a hard time :~) A cold :~-( Crying :~/ Confused ; ) Wink ; P Wink with a raspberry ;( Crying ;-( Angry, or got a black eye ;-) Winkey ;-D Winking and laughing = O Surprised = X My lips are sealed =):-)= Abraham Lincoln =:-) Punk, or hosehead =====:} Snake =^* Kisses =^D Big grin ?( Black eye ?-( Black eye @>--->--- A long-stemmed rose @== Atomic bomb @}->-- Rose B:-) Sunglasses on head d :-o Hats off to you! IOHO In Our Humble Opinion M-) See no evil M-), :X, :-M See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil M:-) A salute O 8-) Starry-eyed angel O :-) Angel O+ Female O-> Male O8-) Starry-eyed angel O:-) Angel P* French kiss Q:-) College graduate X-( Just died [:-) Wearing a Walkman [:-] Square head [:-| Frankenstein [:] Robot [:| Frankenstein [:|] Robot [[ ]] Hug Insert a name in the brackets of the one who is being hugged, as: [[Marcia]] [] Hug \') Winky \'-) Winky \_/ Empty glass \~/ Full glass ]:-> Devil ]:-) Happy devil ][ Back to back ^ ^ ^ Giggles ^5 High five `:-) Raised eyebrow {{ }} Hug; the one whose name is in the brackets is being hugged Example: {{MJ}} {} No comment |( Sleepy (on late night email message) |-<> Puckered up for a kiss |-( Sleepy, struggling to stay awake, or sleeping badly |-D Big laugh |-O Yawn |-{ Good grief! |-| Asleep |I Asleep |^o Snoring }-) Wry smile }: [ Angry, frustrated }{ Face to face ~ :-( Steaming mad ~:-( Flame message ~:-\ Elvis ~:o Baby ~:\ Elvis ~= Lit candle, indicating a flame (inflammatory message) ~== Begins a flame (inflammatory message) ~~:-( Especially hot flame message ~~:[ Net flame ~~~~8} Snake ~~~~~8} Snake