Although it has been incorporated into the daily vocabulary among the youngest for years, it seems to us a good time to explain what LOL means, where it comes from and in what contexts this expression is usually used, which consists of several meanings according to how it has been given new ones. applications.
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What does ‘LOL’ mean?
The original meaning of LOL is a statement reduced to three letters that, as on many other occasions, is one of the many linguistic expressions contributed by the Anglo-Saxon culture that has subsequently been absorbed by others.
The original meaning of ‘LOL’
‘LOL’ is the acronym for an English expression, ‘Laughing Out Loud ‘, which translated means something like “laughing out loud”, “laughing out loud” or “dead laughing”.
Some also consider that LOL stands for ‘Lots of Laughs’, which would correspond to something like “lots of laughs”.
The origin of lol
‘LOL’ began to be used in the written language of Internet chats, usually at the end of a sentence. In this way, a phrase that included a ‘LOL’, meant that the interlocutor who had written it, had found something very funny, perhaps a comment or a situation mentioned.
As its use spread, ‘LOL’ began to find a place in written conversations through digital channels . In this way, the expression LOL served to represent, in text format, laughter. So, these 3 letters together were a cheaper way to say “hahaha” or similar.
The popularization of LOL
So much repercussion had ‘LOL’, that the acronym made the leap from digital chats to conversations in person, so that nowadays it is not uncommon to hear many people finish their words with ‘LOL’ when the occasion allows it.
In the same way, you don’t have to be Anglo-Saxon to understand what ‘LOL’ means or to use it, because since it became fashionable, it is used in any conversation in almost any language.
8 other meanings of LOL
As we mentioned, ‘LOL’ has long been part of the colloquial jargon of a generation especially influenced by the rise of the Internet. However, language is mutable, so talking about what ‘LOL’ means implies accepting that its original definition has been transformed, evolving into multiple variants.
So much so, that many propose a new meaning for ‘LOL’: “Lack Of Laughter”, that is, “lack of laughter” . Come on, whatever you’re talking about, it’s not funny at all.
But, in addition, there are these other possibilities of use:
1. When you write ‘LOL’ by inertia
Understanding what ‘LOL’ means or when to use it becomes easier if we look at the following examples, in which this locution works more like a stuffing that as a coherent response to something we’ve been told :
(LOL):
- “I don’t really care what you just wrote”
- “ I have nothing to say that is worthwhile and that could contribute to improving this conversation at some point”
- “I’m too lazy to read everything you’ve posted, so I’m writing ‘LOL’ in the hope that you’ll think I’m showing attention.”
- “Your words lack the slightest bit of humor, but even so, I will pretend that I am amused to make you feel good”
- “Although I don’t know the meaning of LOL, I have so internalized its use that I write it and say it out of sheer inertia, even though it is completely empty of content”
2. When LOL means they love
you Usually, the original meaning of ‘LOL’ translates as “laugh out loud”. Now, there are those who give ‘LOL’ one more twist, redefining it as ‘Lots of Love’ , an Anglo-Saxon expression to make it clear that you care about the other person. In this way, in certain contexts, it can mean that someone cares about you, instead of thinking that they find what you are saying funny.
Let’s imagine how strange it would be to have a dialogue like this: “I’m sad because my fish has died” and that the answer was “LOL”; Obviously we want to think that they are showing us their support, not that they are laughing at our misfortunes.
3. LOL can be a proper name
How do you read it? ‘LOL’ is an abbreviation of a very common name: Lawrence (Lorenzo) . You know, if someone ever names another by ‘LOL’, ask yourself if they’re not referring to that person by their short name.
4. LOL, the video game
In the gamer community, ‘LOL’ is the acronym for one of the fetish video games of the fanatical public of the MOBA genre. The meaning of this LOL corresponds to its full name, League Of Legends.
via GIPHY
It is, as we say, an online computer game, based on one of the scenarios of another mythical role-playing game such as Warcraft III. Instead, this cousin-brother consists of multiplayer games that face two groups, between 3 and 5 participants each (with their respective previously chosen characters). The mission of both teams is to reach the enemy base, located at the opposite end of the map, and conquer it.
5. The LOL with an ironic
meaning The original meaning of ‘LOL’ was given another twist, giving the acronym a new tone. So much so, that it is not uncommon to use ‘LOL’ in a conversation as a reply to a random comment, difficult to assimilate or after a joke that could have been uncomfortable. In other words: in this case, ‘LOL’ would be a way of “breaking the silence” in the face of such statements, for lack of a better answer.
Let’s imagine, for example, a dialogue like this:
“- I love my partner’s feet and it excites me a lot when he caresses me with them. It is true health.
-(Uncomfortable silence) … LOL”
6. The ‘¿LOL
‘ of disbelief
Similar to the previous case, if we add two question marks (‘¿LOL’) to ‘LO’L
, we express disbelief at what they have just told us. Since it is difficult for such information to enter the head, instead of exclaiming ‘What do you say!’ or ‘I don’t think so’, ‘LOL’ synthesizes both expressions into one .
“ – The other day, in the gym, there was a guy who, while doing an exercise, farted from the effort and everyone heard it (and OLIO)…
-…. LOL
”
7. ‘LOL’, the movie
Yes, such a popular expression gives many possibilities, including the title of a teen movie. This French production from 2008 is a nice chronicle of the life of a 16-year-old girl named Lola (‘LOL’ for friends), who faces the vicissitudes of age: she is little by little falling in love with her best friend and the relationship with her mother becomes more and more tense when she discovers that she sees several men at the same time…
As usual, the Americans made their own remake in 2012, which included the participation of Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore and Ashley Greene; and that it is basically the same movie, with a different cast and spoken in English.
8.LOL Surprise! the fashion dolls
Probably because of its phonetics and because it is a catchy name, the meaning of ‘LOL’ has also been attributed, for a few years, to a very successful line of dolls that has dazzled girls from all over the world since its release on the market. And there are several lines of these big-headed dolls with bulging eyes , in addition to a wide collection of accessories that accompany them.
9. LOL, the music group
Beware if you walk through one of the busiest streets in Spain and hear things like: “LOL live they sound great” or “There is no music festival to which LOL are not invited”. So, for those who don’t know what ‘LOL’ means in Spanish, it stands for Love of Lesbian, a famous music group highly acclaimed by the most hipster national public.
- You may be interested: 36 rare Spanish words that you did not know.
