
I'm not sure how pervasively the distinction is marked, but I've noticed (and used) the left-facing emoticon to express that sentiment, so it seems to actually express a different meaning than the right-facing one I described above. In that usage, it's more an acknowledgement of an awkward situation. In Zemun's usage, it means more "Oh come on, you and I both know the answer to that." or "well, if you have to ask." or "is there really any difference?"

I should really have done a better job of correlating my explanation to the actual topic, huh?
