Eggplants trump bananas in sex emojis study

New York: Eggplants are way more popular than bananas -- at least when it comes to sexually charged emojis used on Twitter, says a study.

Analysing more than nine million tweets to figure out which sexually charged emojis and emoji combinations were most popular in the US and Europe, DrEd.com found that the most popular emoji was the smiley face with heart eyes, an image that's more romantic than sexual.

But when it comes to more overtly sexual emojis with phallic implications, the eggplant tops, the study said.

DrEd.com compiled the most sexually suggestive emojis on Twitter, broken down by gender.

In the US, the eggplant was used about twice as much as the banana. In Europe, though, the reverse was true.

In both regions, women preferred the banana, while men preferred the thicker eggplant.

It is unclear why something that is such a patently unhealthy colour for a penis is such a popular representation of male anatomy, and the study's authors declined to speculate.

But whatever emoji you prefer, one thing is clear: If you are using them, you are more likely to have sex.

Earlier this year, a Match.com survey showed that more frequent emoji users have more sex.