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LOL (also spelled lol) is an abbreviation for "laughing out loud", "laugh out loud", or less commonly "lots of laughter" or "lots of laughs". It has been alleged to stand for "laughing on line" or "laugh on line", although these are most likely backronyms. LOL is a common element of Internet slang used, historically, on Usenet.
Variations on the theme
The widespread use of the term has sprung many variations such as pseudo-pluralizations (e.g. lols, lollers and lolz), repetitions (e.g. lololol and loooool), and puns (e.g. lollerskates, lolercopter, lolercakes, lolgasm, lollercoaster, lollerfest, lollerpops, lollercaust). Sometimes the Os are replaced with alternating or random zeroes, as a form of Leet (e.g. lo0o0ol).
Another use which is becoming increasingly widespread is using it to replace the word laugh in a phrase, such as It makes me lol or I lol at that. In fact, it can be used as nearly any part of speech: It is lol.
The word lol is also becoming used in everyday speech among instant messaging users, often sarcastically, saying "lol" to a joke instead of actually laughing at it. Some may just slip the word in randomly, much like an instant message conversation, during casual conversation.
Despite it being an English acronym, it is often used by non-English speakers as-is, even in other scripts (eg. , Hebrew: לול).
Variants and translations in widespread use
Most of these abbreviations are usually found in lowercase. lal or lawl — can refer to either a pseudo-pronunciation of LOL, or the German translation (although most German speakers use 'LOL'). Saying "lawl" is sometimes meant in mockery of those who use the term LOL, and not meant as serious usage.
- lol (lollig) — a Dutch word, meaning joke or fun (lollig means funny)
- MDR — French equivalent: Mort De Rire ('Dying of laughter')
- ｗ — used commonly in 2channel
- LMAO — stands for "Laughing My Arse Off" or "Laughing My Ass Off" and has several variations itself:
- ROFL/ROTFL — Rolling On the Floor, Laughing. Roffle is now also a widely used variation of ROFL, along with its own variations (such as the popular ROFLcopter); and of course in any permutation, such as: ROFLMAO
- lolz — occasionally used in place of "LOL"
- los — Laugh out silently, used because no-one really laughs out loud when typing "lol"
See also
"LOL (Internet slang)"