speak-no-evil monkey
Unicode: 1F64A
Description
A yellow face with a hand covering its mouth, eyes wide open, indicating a state of shock, surprise, or discretion.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > monkey-face
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents shock, surprise, awe, discretion, or being speechless. It can also imply keeping a secret or being speechless with admiration/disbelief.
Backstory
This emoji was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. It visually represents the common gesture of covering one's mouth to express surprise or to hold back words.
Usage Examples
- Experiencing a surprise: 'I can't believe they did that! 🙊'
- Sharing gossip: 'You'll never guess what I just heard! 🙊'
- Reacting to something unbelievable: 'Did that just happen?! 🙊'
- Being discreet: 'Oops, I probably shouldn't have said that. 🙊'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used to express genuine surprise, 'oops' moments, or a playful 'shhh' or 'I saw that!'.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage, often employed for expressions of shock or 'Oh my!' in a slightly more dramatic fashion. Can also be used to imply gossip or a playful secret.
Global usage:
Universally understood for conveying shock or being taken aback, as well as indicating discretion or holding back words.