Disguised face

Usually playful undercover mode, not suspicion. About the sender's own plans, it means sneaking into a party, dodging a group chat or hiding a surprise. The joke is that the costume is far too obvious to work. Aimed at your story, the same face says “nice disguise on that excuse.” Some people also use it to admit an online persona is a put-on, like a heavily filtered selfie.

How did Groucho's face become a disguise?

In 1921, American comedian Groucho Marx painted on his mustache because he was late for the theater and had no time to glue on fake whiskers. The painted mustache, heavy brows and glasses became his stage look. By 1936, the novelty maker Magnotrix was advertising “Groucho Marx Glasses” in Billboard, a US entertainment trade magazine, turning his face into a joke-shop disguise anyone could wear.

The 2018 emoji proposal pitched 🥸 as a general disguise and a wink at a “finsta”, a secret second Instagram account. In 2022, the Jewish American newspaper The Forward described younger people using the physical mask for “asking for a friend” posts, a joke that works without knowing Groucho's films.