face with thermometer
Unicode: 1F912
Description
A yellow circular face with its hand covering its mouth, eyes wide open, indicating a mixture of shock, awe, or disbelief. The hand gesture might also imply concealing a laugh or surprise.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > face-unwell
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents shock, surprise, awe, discretion, or sometimes a polite attempt to conceal a reaction (like a laugh or gasp). It can also indicate 'oops' or 'oh no'.
Backstory
This emoji was added to Unicode 8.0 in 2015 as part of the 'Face with Hand Over Mouth' character. It reflects a universally recognized non-verbal cue for surprise or discretion.
Usage Examples
- Expressing surprise: 'Did you see that? 🫢'
- Reacting to shocking news: 'No way! You're kidding me! 🫢'
- Concealing a laugh or gasp: 'I almost burst out laughing 🫢'
- Indicating a secret or 'oops': 'I probably shouldn't have said that 🫢'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used for 'oh wow!', 'oh no!', or to indicate a secret/gossip. Sometimes shows polite laughter or embarrassment.
East Asian culture:
Can be used similarly, but also for modesty, shyness, or to show discretion when speaking about sensitive topics. The hand over mouth can be a gesture of politeness or embarrassment.