Grawlix

Not to be confused with The Grawlix, the American comedy trio.
Grawlix in a speech bubble

Grawlix (/ˈɡrɔːlɪks/) or obscenicon is the use of typographical symbol to replace profanity. Mainly used in cartoons and comics,[1][2] it is used to get around language restrictions or censorship in publishing. At signs (@), dollar signs ($), number signs (#), ampersands (&), percent signs (%), and asterisks (*) are oft-used symbols.[3] The characters may resemble the letters they replace, such as "$" standing in for "S".[3]

  1. ^ Nordquist, Richard (March 4, 2019). "What the @#$%&! Is a Grawlix?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Zimmer, Ben (October 9, 2013). "How Did @#$%&! Come to Represent Profanity?". Slate. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "What the @% Is a 'Grawlix'?". Words We're Watching. Merriam-Webster. April 18, 2018.