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BS: What does 'LOL' mean?

10 Nov 01 - 11:59 AM (#589685)
Subject: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Tom French

I've see various Mudcatters sign off with "LOL." Although it is probably unimportant, it, more than other unknown acronyms has begun to plague my curiousity.


10 Nov 01 - 12:20 PM (#589695)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: katlaughing

Around here it usually menas "laughing out loud" but it can also mean "love on line."

Likewise **BG** means Big Grin.

kat


10 Nov 01 - 12:23 PM (#589697)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: weepiper

And ROFL is Rolling On Floor Laughing...and ROFLMAO is Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off...and IMHO is In My Humble Opinion.


10 Nov 01 - 12:25 PM (#589698)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: SINSULL

I thought it meant "Love me or leave me" (but never let me be lonely...). Which reminds me! My canonization is exactly two weeks old and I still have received no offerings or even an official feast day. What givews?
St.Damn Capslock!, the patron of the patient.


10 Nov 01 - 12:26 PM (#589700)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: 53

lots of luck. BOB


10 Nov 01 - 12:32 PM (#589708)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Bill D

NOT "Lilliputian Oligarchy Lamentations"??

well, you live & learn!!


10 Nov 01 - 02:44 PM (#589764)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: wysiwyg

(See FAQ thread for a link to an acronym dictionary)

BOLO WOBH, tho.

(Be On The Lookout for Whale-Oil-Beef-Hooked.)

Welcome to Mudcat.

~Susan


10 Nov 01 - 02:54 PM (#589768)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Amergin

wasnt this very question the cause of major embarrassment for some one a while back?


10 Nov 01 - 04:24 PM (#589823)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: McGrath of Harlow

What I find strange is the suggestion that written communication makes these things essential, when for hundreds if not thousands of years people have got by, using words and punctuation to do the trick.

I'm not objecting to people choosing to use the "acronyms", or for that matter the smilies and so forth. But suggesting that somehow we have less time to spare than our ancestors strikes me as a strange logic. We've got more free time, after dealing with the necessities of survival, than anyone before us has ever had, possibly leaving aside royalty.


10 Nov 01 - 05:33 PM (#589865)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Den

Loyal Orange Lodge. Den


10 Nov 01 - 05:40 PM (#589869)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Ed.

Thread drift:

I actually really hate it when people say ROTFLMAO or something similar

(Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off - if you didn't know)

Same with, 'I nearly spat my coffee all over the keyboard'

My guess is that you had a little chuckle to yourself...

You didn't roll on the floor whatsoever.

But that's my problem, I guess


10 Nov 01 - 07:36 PM (#589947)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Peter K (Fionn)

53, what does BOB mean?


10 Nov 01 - 07:46 PM (#589958)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: SeanM

I gotta agree - I often "laugh out loud", but I can't recall more than one or two times since puberty that I've 'rolled on the floor laughing', let alone so much that my ass fell off.

As to spraying coffee over the keyboard - I've done that once, but I think it had more to do with the flu I was fighting than what I was doing on the computer.

BRB AFK BYOB

M


10 Nov 01 - 07:47 PM (#589960)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: McGrath of Harlow

I thought it was probably his name. (Buckets of Blood?)


10 Nov 01 - 07:59 PM (#589973)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Matthew Edwards

I had thought it meant "Lots of love", and was embarrassed to discover it was more generally used to mean "Laughing out loud" after I had used it on a couple of occasions!!


10 Nov 01 - 08:29 PM (#590002)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Gypsy

And, i blush to admit, how long it took me to figure out Wysiwyg. Now that i know, i love it, i love it!


10 Nov 01 - 08:48 PM (#590020)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Amergin

i keep hoping my big arse will fall off when i roll around on the floor laughing...no such luck as yet...


10 Nov 01 - 09:48 PM (#590046)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Mudlark

LOL = Little Old Lady, too (and now getting too close to the truth for comfort....)

The one I like is BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free)....always did like a bargain.


10 Nov 01 - 09:55 PM (#590054)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Mary in Kentucky

Leaving of Liverpool


10 Nov 01 - 10:39 PM (#590087)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Peter Kasin

Though you're right that the user probably isn't rolling, etc., I take it to mean a ranking and appreciation of the quality of the joke - like LOL is saying "Good one!" and ROTFLMAO is saying "Great one! Too funny!" At least that's the way I read it. Though I've used those Net terms a few times, generally I prefer to let the person know in plain English, but that's me. Different strokes for different folks.


10 Nov 01 - 11:18 PM (#590097)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Little Hawk

The version I like best is: "Loser OnLine"

Ha! But when I use LOL, I normally mean "laughing out loud"...

Ed - The trouble with more realistic alternatives to ROTFLMAO is that people don't know what they mean.

For Example:

GFAIT (giggling fiendishly as I type)

CMWIR (chuckling merrily while I read)

SS (smirking silently)

GWAT (grinning with amused tolerance)

And so on...

See what I mean? They simply don't work. ROTFLMAO does work, although it's not literally true.

- LH


10 Nov 01 - 11:44 PM (#590104)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Peter Kasin

"Loser Online." Well, I DID laugh out loud when I read that, LH!


11 Nov 01 - 10:42 AM (#590240)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: wysiwyg

BOB is Bob of Bob and Glenda who share a membership as 53. This is covered in their first posts.

~S~


11 Nov 01 - 07:01 PM (#590447)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Dear Tom French, I just ignore them. If they are an important part of the message, I don't get it and I don't care. Curmudgeonly yours,


12 Nov 01 - 07:41 AM (#590704)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Trevor

Was that messahe SWALK, Dicho?


12 Nov 01 - 10:43 AM (#590798)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Mickey191

Would someone tell me what WYSIWYG stands for? Thanks.


12 Nov 01 - 11:03 AM (#590817)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Burke

What You See Is What You Get

It's used a lot when describing HTML editors that show what you page will look like instead of the raw source.


12 Nov 01 - 01:33 PM (#590914)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: MudGuard

But these programs were better described as WYGIWYD (what you get is what you deserve) as most of them produce code which has no similarity to HTML (especially Frontpage)


12 Nov 01 - 01:44 PM (#590922)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Burke

MudGard, normally I'd respond LOL, but given the topic I guess I'll admit that a mental grin is all you get.


12 Nov 01 - 03:48 PM (#591019)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: GUEST,53 glenda at work

Hi! Laughing out loud is apparently the most common LOL in Mudcat.

Fionn, Bob and Glenda - (53)have explained who we are and how we came to be '53') many times in different threads. if you want us to explain it to you you can PM us and I will answer you personally.

Sometimes BOB likes to actually use a capital or 2 and when he does it on his name he leaves it on caps. usually he uses all lower case and signs 'bob'. He is really a Great Guy, my husband.

McGrath, We all need to keep in mind different communication types and see that some find it fun to use acronyms. Some folks do have lots of time. But I think that when you are typing your message rather than speaking aloud, it is fine to use shortcuts. It can be a way of showing ones personality.

Let's try to enjoy getting to know the individuals who we like to communicate with and just let the others pass by without being too critical.

Glenda


12 Nov 01 - 04:02 PM (#591032)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Burke

I thought the person who asked who BOB was was just kidding. This being a thread about acronymns "lots of luck. BOB" looks like a perfect set up for people who deadpan their jokes.

Does one really need smileys for everything?


12 Nov 01 - 04:05 PM (#591033)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Noreen

Glenda, I took Fionn's question to be a small joke on the visual similarity of BOB to LOL, not a criticism. It is possible to be oversensitive sometimes?


12 Nov 01 - 04:13 PM (#591038)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Bat Goddess

WYSIWYG and WYGIWYD (especially the latter) has been used in typesetting circles for over 15 years -- long before most of today's computer users were using computers.

Bat Goddess who doubles as a Type Goddess


12 Nov 01 - 04:17 PM (#591044)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Jeri

I suspect many acronyms became poplular because of on-line chat rooms. You're having a real-time conversation, any you have to type everying - ick. It's not good for spelling and grammar, but it's faster. The acronyms and other shortcuts gradually crept into other places on the net. (I may be completely wrong - it's just a theory.)

It may drive u nuts - it's not 4 every1.

TTFN (ta-ta for now)


12 Nov 01 - 06:41 PM (#591165)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Murray MacLeod

Fer Chrissakes, how about TWASOH as an acronym ? (Totally Without Any Sense Of Humor) Lord knows I don't see eye to eye with Fionn all of the time but I thought his post was extremely witty.

Murray


12 Nov 01 - 06:57 PM (#591178)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: 53

go girl, i mean 53 that is. BOB


12 Nov 01 - 07:11 PM (#591186)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Rollo

What I really hate are some insane too-often-chatting friends of mine SAYING "Lol" when laughting out instead of stating something like "Hey, that's a good one!" or "Incredible" or just gasping for air... msubmt (muttering something unfriendly between my teeth)


12 Nov 01 - 11:23 PM (#591347)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Peter K (Fionn)

Why thankyou, Noreen and Murray! For the benefit of WYSIWYG and Glenda, maybe I should have scattered that earlier post with grins, winks and nudges. But I'm a little bit surprised at you, McGrath *BG*


13 Nov 01 - 11:45 AM (#591623)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: 53

you could always be SOL BOB


13 Nov 01 - 12:25 PM (#591653)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Mrs.Duck

Or SLOB (still laughing over BOB). I thought Fionn's question was perfectly reasonable as I had also wondered what BOB was an acronym for!


13 Nov 01 - 01:09 PM (#591677)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: MMario

according to various friends - (I wasn't online then - but I was involved in 'puters) the various acronyms started and became "standard usage" during the days when a 300 bps modem was "blindingly fast" and state of the art. Bandwidth became a REAL problem even with pure text messages at those speeds.


13 Nov 01 - 06:53 PM (#591977)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie

No one has yet referenced PML--peed myself laughing. Sorry, there was probably a reason. Oh, well.

CC


13 Nov 01 - 10:25 PM (#592093)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Coyote Breath

Layer On Layer? Leap Or Lose? as my ex would say;

ttfn


15 Nov 01 - 12:23 AM (#592976)
Subject: RE: BS: What does 'LOL' mean?
From: Tom French

Hey, thanks for all the great information. My curiousity has not only been thoughly satisfied, it's buried at least six feet under.

However, new questions have arisen. No doubt that the LOLS have great bearing on a chorus that I heard John Roberts and Tony Barrand sing to a particular song, which might have otherwise been sung Fa-la-la-etc. It went:

Fol-LOL-LOL-LOL, it's a lovely day.
Fol-LOL-LOL-LOL Lady.
Fol-LOL-LOL-LOL, it's a lovely day.
To me Fol-LOL-LOL-LOL Lady.

Although I formerly believed that LOL was a nonsense sylable, the various meanings of LOL seem to indicate that the above is an acronym chorus (AC), understood by a select few individuals who knew the order of meanings. What is mystifying to us in this day was probably a matter of common community communication (CCC). It seems that if this could be deciphered, we may have the makings of a Rosetta Stone vocal phrasing (RSVP) understanding for the interpretation of the many other choruses that appear in various ancient syllabic songs (ASS). Could anyone assist in the deciphering.