detective: medium-dark skin tone
Unicode: 1F575 1F3FE
Description
A secret agent or detective emoji with a brown skin tone, wearing a fedora hat and dark glasses, often depicted in a trench coat or similar attire. It is commonly used to imply secrecy, investigation, or a 'I'm watching you' sentiment.
Group:
People & Body > person-role
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Implies suspicion, stealth, investigation, hidden observation, or a playful 'keeping an eye on things' mood.
Backstory
The detective emoji (1F575) was approved as part of Unicode 7.0 in 2014 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. The skin tone modifier (1F3FE for dark brown) was added later, allowing for more diverse representations of the character.
Usage Examples
- When someone is being secretive: 'What are you up to? 🕵🏾'
- When watching something unfold: 'I'm just observing... 🕵🏾'
- When jokingly 'spying' on a friend: 'I know what you did 🕵🏾'
- For a mysterious or curious situation: 'Hmm, interesting... 🕵🏾'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used for spying, secret operations, or playful monitoring, referencing classic detective tropes.
East Asian culture:
May also be used to imply gossip, 'being nosy,' or subtle surveillance, sometimes with a humorous undertone.