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John M. Kelly

John M. Kelly

John M. Kelly writes a regular Emojiology column investigating emoji use. In his former role as Senior Emoji Lexicographer, John compiled many of the emoji definitions found on Emojipedia.org

18 posts •
Emojiology: πŸ€— Hugging Face

Emojiology: πŸ€— Hugging Face

Among the newest members in the ever-growing emoji family in 2019 is Yawning Face, which is covering its mouth with a hand. This hand is notable not only because the gesture is central

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
8 min read
Emojiology: πŸ™ƒ Upside-Down Face

Emojiology: πŸ™ƒ Upside-Down Face

Whenever I share the work I do in defining emoji for Emojipedia, I inevitably meet a two-part response. First, people fawn over their faves. Hearts, smiles, and, yes, poo πŸ’© pile high among them.

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: πŸ™ Folded Hands

Emojiology: πŸ™ Folded Hands

As clever as the explanation may be, the children’s game of tag is not short for touch and go. Something posh, or luxurious and stylish, isn’t so called because swankier cabins

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
7 min read
Emojiology: πŸ‘Ώ Angry Face With Horns

Emojiology: πŸ‘Ώ Angry Face With Horns

While we may be seeing greater convergence in their overall design, emojis still have variations in their appearance across platforms that can significantly alter their tone and personality. In a playful exercise earlier

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Sorry, London Times, the Kids These Days Aren't Using πŸ›€ for ⚰️

Sorry, London Times, the Kids These Days Aren't Using πŸ›€ for ⚰️

On Friday, February 22, the London Times ran an article on emojis that made many of us go πŸ˜‚, πŸ™ƒ, or πŸ€” online. The Times emoji explainer is killing me. πŸ† πŸ‘ πŸ”₯ pic.twitter.com/uA8Th2Mc62 — Latika

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
5 min read
Emojiology: πŸ₯° Smiling Face With Hearts

Emojiology: πŸ₯° Smiling Face With Hearts

Earlier this month, the Unicode Consortium debuted its final list of new emojis for 2019β€”and we debated it. Some men felt challenged by what Pinching Hand implied about their bodies while some

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
5 min read
Emojiology: 😳 Flushed Face

Emojiology: 😳 Flushed Face

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. So, too, at least in the realms of texting and social media, is an emoji. Behold the wide eyes and red cheeks of

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: πŸ‘Ό Baby Angel

Emojiology: πŸ‘Ό Baby Angel

As we saw in our Emojiology on πŸ‘» Ghost, Halloween is downright haunted by emojis to mark the occasion. Close behind it, on the holiday front, is Christmas. From a 🎁 Gift under the πŸŽ„ Christmas

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
7 min read
Emojiology: πŸ”₯ Fire

Emojiology: πŸ”₯ Fire

As many of us around the world move into the colder months of the year, we bundle up our emojis with scarves 🧣, coats πŸ§₯, and gloves 🧀, prepared for the freezing snow ❄️ and icy winds

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: πŸ‘» Ghost

Emojiology: πŸ‘» Ghost

When it comes to emojis, there’s no time of year quite like Halloween. We fill our texts and tweets with the many tricks and treats emojis offer for the holiday, from jack-o’

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
5 min read
No, the OK Hand πŸ‘Œ is not a symbol of white power

No, the OK Hand πŸ‘Œ is not a symbol of white power

At least, the OK gesture is not intrinsically a racist symbol of white powerβ€”nor is its emoji form, πŸ‘Œ OK Hand. Like many gestures, πŸ‘Œ OK Hand has many legitimate uses, but this one

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
4 min read
Emojiology: 🀑 Clown Face

Emojiology: 🀑 Clown Face

Think emojis are all just fun and games? Then you haven’t met one that manifests some of our deepest, darkest fears 😱. It wants to give you a balloon 🎈. It wants to charm

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
7 min read
Emojiology: 🀠 Cowboy Hat Face

Emojiology: 🀠 Cowboy Hat Face

In our Emojiology series so far, we’ve clarified the confusion of πŸ˜ͺ Sleepy Face, reconciled the conflicts of 😭 Loudly Crying Face, and unpacked the complexities of 😏 Smirking Face and 😬 Grimacing Face. But emojis,

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
7 min read
Emojiology: 😬 Grimacing Face

Emojiology: 😬 Grimacing Face

You know something’s up when the dictionary is at a loss for words. β€œWe’re gonna be honest with you,” an article on Dictionary.com admits. β€œEven the dictionary can have a

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: 😭 Loudly Crying Face

Emojiology: 😭 Loudly Crying Face

We use emojis to help us express emotions, but sometimes it’s the emojis themselves that bring them on. Exhibit A: 😭. Social media manager Jasmyn Lawson ignited a Twitter debate last year when

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: 😍 Smiling Face With Heart-Eyes

Emojiology: 😍 Smiling Face With Heart-Eyes

By many measures, πŸ˜‚ Face With Tears of Joy has led the pack as the most used emoji in recent years. Dogging its heels, though, is another smiley: 😍 Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes. In 2017,

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
6 min read
Emojiology: 😏 Smirking Face

Emojiology: 😏 Smirking Face

One of the great virtues of emojis are their ability to mark tone where plain text cannot. A simple ❀️ Red Heart can add affection to a text message. A string of πŸ˜‚ πŸ˜‚ πŸ˜‚ Face With

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
5 min read
Emojiology: πŸ˜ͺ Sleepy Face

Emojiology: πŸ˜ͺ Sleepy Face

You might have scrolled past this emojiβ€”πŸ˜ͺβ€”and puzzled about what it means, exactly. Tucked in a column with 🀀 Drooling Face and 😡 Dizzy Face , it's a smiley with closed eyes and a slack

  • John M. Kelly
    John M. Kelly
4 min read
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