Recently I see a lot of people using the ¯_(ツ)_/¯ emoticon as a meme for shrugging arms (though *shrug* is both shorter and easier to type).
It’s based on the Tsu kana (which is has no meaning by itself, but is a mora indicating a glottal stop) and seems to be in use since 2011.
There is also the Shi kana (which also resembles a smiling face), which would lead to ¯_(シ)_/¯.
The fun part is that the for Shi, Wikpedia mentions ㋛ (which is basically Shi enclosed in a circle) it would become ¯_㋛_/¯ which is as short as *shrug* but more visual.
But for Tsu, Wikipedia doesn’t mention ㋡ (maybe coincidentally, the Tsu enclosed in a circle Wiktionary page isn’t there yet as well) which would make ¯_㋡_/¯, again as short as *shrug* but more visual and the one I would prefer.
The below Unicode code points were all added in 1993, quite some time before they got used as emoticons:
- Tsu kana: ツ, Unicode KATAKANA LETTER TU or U+30C4.
- Tsi kana: シ, Unicode KATAKANA LETTER SI or U+30B7.
- Tsu in circle: ㋡, Unicode CIRCLED KATAKANA TU or U+32E1.
- Shi in circle: ㋛, Unicode CIRCLED KATAKANA SI or U+32DB.
–jeroen
PS: there is a little visual trick to cope with shi, tsu, so and n: watch the stroke order and top/left line.
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