I have a prepaid cell phone that I hardly ever use, without a “full qwerty keyboard,” and I seldom text. So I’m way out of touch with some texting lingo, though of course I know how to make a smiley, frowny, or “wink-ey” face. 
;) Who doesn’t? But I was baffled for a while and had to look up the meaning of <3, that I saw in some blog comment somewhere recently. In math, that’s “less than 3,” and sounds like an odd, but bad, insult. Of course, the internet told me it’s a “sideways heart.” <3 Okay, I guess I can see that. But if you look at the thing the other way, the way I prefer, it looks like a trim, shapely, symmetrical butt (depending on the font) underneath a party hat. Therefore, an invite to a party by a hot gal. I asked a younger, more text-savvy work friend about it; she hadn’t heard of it either, but pointed out that “the 3 part could be boobs.” So, still a party, but this time to appeal to a breast-man, rather than an ass-man like me. Of course, I got to thinking about other symbol combos, which, of course, have probably been thought of by others, but what the heck?: (It seems to help to “bold” them)
(:< This equals a guy with a bad toupee and a serious frown, because, to paraphrase the great “Porgy and Bess” song “It Ain’t Necessarily So”, no gal’ll give in to no man what’s got a bad toupee.
<8 Party invite from a girl with a party hat and a tube top.
<0 Odd, depressing 80s movie.
(:{> Hopeful guy, with a bad toupee and late-19th-century type handlebar moustache, tagging along to a party with his work friends <3 and <8, who invited him because he’s a nice guy and they feel bad for him.
(:{< Same guy, later that night, after consistently striking out and having to walk home alone, because the party gals with the tube tops and nice assets got “rides home.”
-(;{> “Alfalfa,” from “Our Gang,” on his way out the door from the party (that he was too young for, but snuck into with his fake ‘stache) with a <8 on one arm and a <3 on the other, winking at his friends.
I leave you with this thought: Just remember, you can’t buy love, but in some places, you can darn sure rent it. -(;>
