🤥

Lying Face

LAI-ing feys
Smileys & Emotion Unicode 3.0 common

Meanings

1
Faces · Deception Common

Represents a person telling a lie, depicted as a yellow face with a long nose resembling Pinocchio, the fictional character whose nose grew when he lied.

Used to indicate someone is lying, exaggerating, or being dishonest in a playful or accusatory way.

You said you were just going to have one drink 🤥 📋 Text message between friends
My boss: 'The workload will be manageable' 🤥 📋 Social media post about workplace conditions
I'm totally not procrastinating right now 🤥 📋 Message to study group

Directly references the Pinocchio story, a widely recognized Western cultural symbol for dishonesty and its consequences.

2
Faces · Self-Deprecation Common

Used self-referentially to indicate the sender is joking, being sarcastic, or admitting to a harmless fib or exaggeration.

Often used for humorous effect when someone is obviously not being serious or is playfully admitting to a minor deception.

I'm definitely not thinking about chocolate cake right now 🤥 📋 Social media post about dieting
I've only watched one episode today 🤥 *finishes entire season* 📋 Tweet about binge-watching

Self-deprecating humor using this emoji is common in English-speaking digital culture, especially among younger users.

Combos with 🤥

🤥😂
Indicates an obvious or amusing lie that both parties recognize as untrue.
Used when the deception is transparent and meant to be humorous rather than deceptive.
🤥👀
Suggests skepticism or suspicion about someone's dishonesty.
Communicates 'I see through your lie' or 'I'm watching you' when someone makes a dubious claim.
🤥🤔
Expresses doubt about someone's statement or story.
Used to politely suggest disbelief without directly calling someone a liar.
🤥💯
Ironically indicates a complete or obvious lie.
The contradiction between '100% true' and 'lying face' creates sarcasm popular in youth communication.
🤥🏆
Sarcastically awards someone for an impressive or outrageous lie.
Used to call out particularly creative or ambitious falsehoods in a somewhat playful way.

Culture

The emoji directly references Pinocchio, the 19th-century Italian children's novel character whose nose grew when he lied, a story popularized globally by Disney's 1940 animated film.

Serves as a non-confrontational way to call out dishonesty in digital communication, where direct accusations might be considered too harsh or could escalate conflict.

Gained prominence during the rise of 'fake news' discussions, becoming a shorthand way to express skepticism about online information without lengthy explanations.

Younger users often employ it self-referentially for humorous effect, while older users tend to use it more literally to indicate actual dishonesty or skepticism.

Australia Commonly used in the context of 'tall stories' or exaggerated claims, especially in casual social contexts.
United Kingdom Often used with dry, sarcastic humor rather than direct accusation. Frequently appears in banter between friends.
United States Often used in political discourse to call out perceived dishonesty from public figures or media outlets.
Gen_X: More likely to use in literal contexts to express genuine skepticism, particularly regarding news, advertising, or political statements.
Gen_Z: Frequently used ironically or self-referentially in memes and casual conversations. Often paired with exaggerated statements for comedic effect.
Older: Less frequently used, but when employed, typically used literally to indicate disbelief about a statement or claim.
Millennials: Commonly used to call out dishonesty in political contexts or to make light of minor social deceptions like excuses for canceling plans.

History

2016

Introduced in Unicode 9.0 as part of a set of new face emojis, quickly adopted for calling out dishonesty online.

Rising concerns about 'fake news' and misinformation in political discourse.

2018

Usage shifted toward more self-deprecating contexts, especially on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

Evolution of meme culture embracing ironic self-awareness about minor personal failings.

2020

Saw significant usage increase during COVID-19 pandemic and political events to express skepticism about official statements.

Public frustration with perceived misinformation during global crisis and contentious election cycles.