Life
When words fail, emojis speak, and over time, it's become a surprisingly complicated language. On Tuesday, USA Today reported that more than 50 new emojis would be released with the next Unicode update this year. I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first, because I've been perfectly content ever since they added the burrito emoji in 2015. However, the future additions include a woman in a hijab, mythical creatures, and dinosaurs. Obviously, this is a cause for praise hands.
On Jun. 20, the Unicode Consortium went public with the full list of the 56 new emojis included in the next update. I repeat: 56. New. Emojis. Some of them have been long-awaited; on top of the woman wearing a hijab, the list includes a bearded man, a breastfeeding woman, and an array of new international foods. (Personally, I'm also pretty stoked about the addition of the hedgehog.) Others are a little unexpected but still useful — the vomiting face may be gross, but it'll get the point across next time you're ill. Then there are a few that maybe weren't totally necessary, but who knows? They might come in handy one day.
There's no word yet on exactly when the update will be released, although according to Refinery 29, it could be as early as the end of July. Emojipedia has tweeted that the new emojis are likely to be supported on phones by the latter half of 2017.
Now that the full list has been released, though, it's just a waiting game — here are the 12 best new emojis to get excited about.
2
Mermaid (And Merman)
First came mermaid-inspired food, and now there's a mermaid emoji? It's as close to living under the sea as a girl can get.
3
Woman Wearing A Hijab
It's been said before, but I'll say it again: Emojis are a representation of how we communicate, and it's important to see yourself reflected in the keyboard. It's long past time emojis included the hijab.
4
Vomiting
When you're too weak to text a coherent sentence, the vomming emoji will get your message across.
5
Zombies
Halloween may be several months away, but I guarantee you'll be sprinkling your conversations liberally with zombies (and the new brain emoji) this fall.
6
Takeout Box
Within a year of the update, I can tell already that I'll be developing a Pavlovian love for the takeout box emoji.
7
Orange Heart
The world can always use more ways to send love.
8
Cursing
You may be censoring yourself, but the recipient will get the idea.
9
Shushing
It's perfect for librarians (or when you're making plans to watch Pretty Little Liars).
10
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding in public may still carry a stigma, but having an emoji may help normalize it.
11
Grinning Face
Or as I like to call it, "overly caffeinated face."
12
Skeptical Face
Let's face it: We've all been waiting for this one for a long time.