Which one did you use?

Before emojis, these symbols were everywhere. Do you remember them?

Image: Emojisprout emojisprout.com

Before emojis became as ubiquitous as they are on our screens, people still found clever ways to express emotions in their texts and emails. Using only punctuation marks, letters, and numbers, they created little faces and symbols to laugh, wink, cry, or even roll their eyes. Let’s take a look back at 12 of the most popular ones that were used before emojis existed.

Image: Count Chris

Let’s begin with the most classic one—the smile. This was one of the earliest and most universal ways to express happiness online. Made with just a colon and a parenthesis, it was quick, simple, and instantly recognizable.

Before emojis, typing ":)" was a go-to way to show happiness and friendliness in a message. It worked everywhere: emails, chats, and message boards.

Image: Joshua Hoehne

The frown was one of the most common text symbols for showing disappointment or sadness. With only two characters, it simply flipped the cheeriness of the smiley into a downturned mood.

It appeared in countless emails and texts, letting the other person know you weren’t feeling great—or that the news you were sharing wasn’t, either.

Image: Dima Yakushin

Adding a semicolon and dash turned a regular smile into a playful wink. It was perfect for signaling humor, teasing, or letting someone know that a message shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

In the days before GIFs, a winky face kept the tone light and helped prevent misunderstandings in written conversations.

Image: Javier Miranda

A colon, dash, and capital D created a wide grin that expressed big laughter or pure excitement in a way a simple smile couldn’t match.

People used it in friendly chats, jokes, or when reacting to good news—anytime a regular smile just wasn’t enough.

Image: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR

The crying face combined a frown with an apostrophe for a teardrop, making it perfect for expressing sadness or sympathy.

Whether used to show genuine grief or playful exaggeration, it added an emotional punch to a simple text message or email.

Image: Harrison Chang

A colon, dash, and capital P made a face sticking out its tongue. It was cheeky, silly, and perfect for showing that something was meant as a joke.

It often followed playful teasing or sarcastic remarks, making sure the message came across as fun rather than rude.

Image: Count Chris

A less-than sign and the number 3 created a sideways heart, symbolizing love, affection, or appreciation. It became one of the most widely used pre-emoji symbols.

People added it to messages for friends, partners, or any situation where they wanted to express love or affection.

Image: Planet Volumes

This wide-eyed look used capital O’s for eyes and an underscore for the mouth, showing shock, surprise, or disbelief.

It was a favorite in online chats whenever something unexpected or outrageous happened.

Image: Domingo Alvarez E

This symbol, which came from Japanese kaomoji culture, showed a cheerful, blushing expression, with carets for smiling eyes and an underscore for the mouth.

It carried a soft, cute tone and often appeared in friendly or supportive conversations.

Image: Nik

This expression showed frustration, pain, or embarrassment. The greater-than and less-than signs formed squinting eyes, with an underscore for the mouth.

It was a versatile way to convey everything from mild annoyance to mock agony in messages.

NAME ANCESTRY

14 Surprising Origin Stories Behind State Names In The USA

Image: Pin Adventure Map

Ever wondered where most US states’ names come from? From Native American roots to foreign or made-up words, the stories behind many of them are riddled with surprising historical references. Although the origin of some US states’ names is fairly obvious, many derive from unexpected people or places. The origin of names like Colorado, Montana, or Nevada are easy to infer —especially if you know a bit of Spanish— but many others have Native American origins with intriguing meanings. Some are even derived from fiction. If you ever wanted to know where names like Oregon, Connecticut, or Wisconsin come from, you are in the right place. Enjoy the surprising etymologies behind some of the names that make our country.

Image: Joshua Woroniecki

Interestingly, for a state whose main economic activity is agriculture, the word Alabama comes from the Choctaw language and can be translated as "plant-cutters" or "vegetation pickers", recalling the farming practices of the Native Americans that lived in this area.

Image: olio creative

Alaska is a corruption of an Aleut word that means "mainland", but can be translated literally as "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". This is one of those names that manage to bring poetry into a word as simple and down-to-earth as land.

Image: Vital Sinkevich

This one comes from… a Spanish adventure novel! Bet you didn’t expect that. In Las Sergas de Esplandin by Garcia Ordez de Montalvo, a book from the 1500s, there is a fictional place called the "Island of California". Even when the modern state of California is clearly not an island, some die-hard fanatic of the novel decided to bring the name to life here in the U.S.

Image: Juliette Dickens

Derived from the Algonquian word quinnehtukqut, which can be translated as "besides the long tidal river", in reference to the river Connecticut. If you are wondering what the "tidal" part means exactly, this is because the Connecticut River's flow and level are effectively influenced by tides along much of its course. Certainly some amazing insight into the rigorous knowledge of local hydrology that Native Americans managed to accrue over the centuries.

Image: Luke McKeown

Although the origin of this name is disputed, there are two main theories. One suggests that the islands may have been named after Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. However, others have speculated that it is actually derived from the ancient Polynesian word hawaiki, meaning "place of the gods".

Image: NEOM

Another crazy one. Although the name was first claimed to be derived from a Shoshone word that meant "Gem of the Mountains", it is highly likely that the word was fabricated by George M. Willing, and meant as a practical joke.

Image: Stéfano Girardelli

Quite literally, "land of Indians", using a Latin suffix. The word Indians originally referred to the ancient dwellers of the shores of the Indus River, in South and Central Asia.

Image: NOAA

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!" said Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, right after a rampant tornado literally lifted her house in the air and took it to God knows where. Well, this US state’s fame for violent winds predates even the first settlers, since Kansas is a Native American word used by the Dakota, strongly related to the idea of "wind".

Image: Drew Beamer

This state owes its name to an Iroquoian word that means "land of tomorrow". Quite a blockbuster-worthy movie title, if you ask me.

Image: Mercedes Mehling

The origin story behind the name of "The Pine Tree State" is still disputed. However, there are some interesting theories. One states that it derives from "mainland", as a form of distinction from the many coastal islands in the vicinity. Other theories propose that it was named in honor of Henrietta Maria, queen of England, or after the province of Mayne in France.

Image: Anthony Cantin

To the Native Americans that lived in this region, Missouri meant "town of the large canoes", as the Missouri tribes were renowned for their skill in making dugout canoes.

Image: Ashley Levinson

A largely disputed one. Many suggest that the name has Spanish origins, being similar to other words like orejón (meaning "big ear") or orégano, in reference to a type of plant (similar to the Mediterranean oregano) that grows in the southern part of the state.

Image: Donnie Rosie

This is the only state that has a part of its founder’s name in it. It is widely believed that Pennsylvania means "Penn’s Woodland", and was named as such in honor of Sir William Penn, father of its founder William Penn.

Image: Brydon McCluskey

This is probably a French corruption of a native Miami word that meant "it lies red" or "river running through a red place", in reference to the bed of the river Wisconsin.

If our quick dive into the peculiar world of US state names wasn’t enough to quench your curiosity, stay around! We will keep uploading more content related to language and the weird stories and etymologies behind many English and foreign words.