;P

What Does ;P Mean?

The Quick Answer

;P means "Winking and Sticking Tongue Out."

More Detail...

This icon is often used at the end of a cheeky or playful message (or as a cheeky or playful response to a message). The two characters represent a face: the semicolon represents the eyes (with one winking) while the "P" represents a tongue sticking out of a mouth. The icon also exists with a colon instead of a semicolon (i.e., the eye is not winking):

• :P (tongue sticking out but no winking eye)

The version with the semicolon (i.e., the wink) is considered a little cheekier than the colon version. Similar icons include:

• ;) (wink)
• ;O (joking)
• (: (happy)
• :) (happy)
• :& (tongue tied)
• :( (sad)
• :(|) (monkey)
• :* (kiss)
• :@ (angry)

Image for ;P

When I write ;P, I mean this:

eyes with a wink (;) and a mouth with protruding tongue (P)

I know all about icons. Test me!

Summary of Key Points

"Winking and Sticking Tongue out" is, by far, the most common meaning for ;P when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

;P
Definition:	Winking and Sticking Tongue out
Type:	Icon
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of ;P in Sentences

Here are examples of ;P in conversations:

• Toby: Wait! Come back! You forgot your bullsh*t! ;P
• Mark: I'm jealous of all the people that haven't met you.

• Pat: It was called a jumpoline before your mom jumped on it.
• Adam: Are your parents cousins? ;P

An Academic Look at ;P

As it's a graphical representation, :P is classified as an icon.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "up yours, Noddy" or "screw you" (in a playful tone) instead of ;P.

Example of ;P Used in a Text

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