Where it comes from
Read it as a side view: o is the head, r is the arms and back, and z is the bent legs. It spread from the Japanese internet across Asia; in Korea the version OTL is the most common. It is also sometimes used as a deep bow of respect.
When to use it
Use it after a painful failure, a lost bet or an embarrassing mistake. Some readers won't recognize it, so it works best with people who know internet slang.
Examples
- Deleted the file before saving orz
- Missed the last train by 10 seconds orz
Variants to copy
What it is made of
Every character in the face with its Unicode code point — handy if one shows up as a box on a friend's phone.
o
U+006Flatin small letter or
U+0072latin small letter rz
U+007Alatin small letter z