Re: Ironic Use of Attitudinals

[And Rosta <a.rosta@UCLAN.AC.UK>]

Lojbab to Ashley (whose assertions I mostly agree with, btw):
> Using an attitudinal ironically is thus very much like using a smiley in
> Internet communication when youy intend to be serious.  It is almost certainly
> guanranteed to be misunderstood.

It is quite normal to see people use a :-( smiley jokingly; a
written analogue of doing an exaggerated moue but with smiling
eyes. Same goes for written expressions like $@!%*! and
AAAAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! - these can also be used jocularly;
indeed unless one is talking to an intimate, I think they are
*more* likely than not to be used jocularly.

--And