What? More than 200 new pictograms in the latest Emoji set, but no hotdogs? Something’s rotten in the state of Unicode, or at least that’s the take many food lovers have on the choice of new images. When people are starting to recognise that their smartphones are essentially machines designed to plan trips to restaurants and bars, make bookings, take pictures and share reviews of them with friends, it makes no sense that the new set contains three varations on the computer mouse, such thrillers as “back of envelope”, “mantelpiece clock” and “white hard shell floppy disk” (don’t get us started on “hollow quilt ornament in black square”) and only one new food icon, the hot chilli.
Vitally important as the hot chilli may be, where on earth is the hotdog? (We’ve had to resort to the potentially ambiguous “flame/puppy” combo in the meantime.) A straw poll of the heavier-texting and more Instagram-obsessed members of the GT office reveals a keen need for cheese, bacon, sandwiches and a nice juicy steak. And what the hell kind of pictogram set has crab-stick (or “fish cake with swirl design”) but no real crab? Fans of Australiana, too, might wonder why we have so little in the way of pies, Anzac biscuits and lamingtons and so much in the way of dango and roasted sweet potato. That long black would also be well complemented by a latte or a flat white and an espresso. And, while we’re at it, a teapot might be nice.
We got wine in the previous update (phew), but what about white wine? Wine by the bottle? Your harder-drinking needs, too, are only served by the Martini and “tropical drink”. How about a Negroni? It goes without saying that shots are conspicuous by their absence, and though it’s great that there’s a beer plus “clinking beer mugs”, a frosty tinnie needs its due.
What do you think? Hop onto our Facebook page and tell us what you’d like to see.
Our closing thoughts on the update? KNIFE AND FORK, FACE SCREAMING IN FEAR, QUESTION MARK, QUESTION MARK
Illustration: Steph Yamey.