crossed fingers
Unicode: 1F91E
Description
A yellow face with a hand over its mouth, depicting surprise, shock, or embarrassment.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically expresses surprise, shock, disbelief, mild embarrassment, or general 'oh my goodness' type reactions. It can also convey an inability to speak due to astonishment.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 9.0 (2016) as part of a set of new faces designed to convey a wider range of emotions. Its specific design, with the hand over the mouth, evokes a classic gesture of surprise or discretion, providing a versatile option for digital communication.
Usage Examples
- Expressing surprise: 'Did you see that?! 😲'
- Conveying shock: 'No way, I can't believe it! 😲'
- Showing mild embarrassment: 'Oops, did I just say that? 😲'
- Reacting to unbelievable news: 'They won the lottery? 😲'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Frequently used to express 'OMG' moments, sudden shock, or awkwardness/embarrassment at something said or seen.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage to Western culture, often used for surprising news or a 'cringe' moment. Can also imply gossiping or being caught off guard.