Lenny Face en · NOUN
Etymology
Of obscure origin; the name Lenny was possibly suggested arbitrarily in a thread on 4chan or Reddit.
Meanings
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(Internet) The kaomoji-style emoticon ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) or any of its variations, mostly used to suggest mischief, imply sexual innuendo or a second hidden meaning behind a sentence, or pasted over and over to spam online discussions.
Khotulev is far from alone in his interest in these characters. There’s a forum on Reddit, for example, dedicated to clarifying the meaning of emoticons and suggesting new ones. Some of the most popular emoticons have taken on meme status, such as “Lenny Face”.
2014 November 26, Chris Baraniuk, “:-o: The surprising power of emoticons”, in BBC Future:The internet has produced many strange fads throughout the years, from cats getting scared of cucumbers to the weirdly unsettling Lenny Face. But none of these memes have anything on the latest internet phenomenon — one that's literally described as a frog riding a unicycle.
2016 May 27, German Lopez, “Dat boi, explained”, in Vox:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenny Faces | Number=Plur | lexicographic |