The History of LOL: Its Murky Origins and Influence on Society

Old internet slang like “A/S/L?” and “TTYL” have mostly disappeared, but one term has stuck around: “LOL.” It started as an acronym, is now used as a verb, and interestingly, actually means “fun” in Dutch. How has this word, now officially recognized by the Oxford Dictionary, remained so popular? We decided to explore the history, current use, and future of “LOL.”

The Murky Internet Origin Story

The origin of the internet slang “LOL” is surprisingly debated. One claim comes from Wayne Pearson, a Canadian student who says he first used it in the early to mid-1980s on a now-closed online service called Viewline. He used it as a direct response to something that made him laugh out loud, and believes it spread as Viewline users moved to other platforms like GEnie and AOL. However, there’s no concrete proof to support his claim, and he acknowledges that many people might not believe his story.

You know, as a total film and internet culture buff, it’s fascinating to trace the origins of things we use every day. I recently discovered that the very first documented instance of ‘LOL’ actually popped up in a newsletter called FidoNews – and it still gets published! The May 1989 issue had these little icons, kind of like the ancestors of emojis, alongside abbreviations like LOL. They even used ‘BRB’ and ‘BTW’ back then! It quickly spread to Usenet, which was this early discussion network – think of it as the great-grandparent of modern internet forums and newsgroups. It’s amazing to see how these things evolved!

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of “LOL” was in a 1993 Usenet post reacting to a bad movie – the post read, “LOL… Damn that’s even worse. Ba Ha Ha Ha ha ha!” (It makes you wonder what film they were discussing!). The dictionary also shows that the San Diego Tribune mentioned LOL in a 1993 article, noting people might use it when someone tells a joke. While it might not have been the very first time someone wrote about LOL becoming popular, this confirms it was starting to spread beyond online communities and into wider public awareness.

LOL’s Ascent to Online Infamy

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, “LOL” became increasingly popular as platforms like GeoCities (1994), SixDegrees (1997), and Live Journal (1999) emerged. You could find it everywhere people communicated online – in chat rooms, instant messages, and on websites.

Before the days of unlimited texting and smartphones, communication was more limited. With character restrictions on early online platforms and less capable phones, people naturally started using shorter ways to express themselves. Rachel Elizabeth Weissler, a Ph.D. candidate in Linguistics, explained to TopMob how LOL and similar acronyms became essential parts of online and mobile conversations.

The purpose of communication is to effectively convey your message. We aim to do this rapidly, clearly, and in a way that’s easily understood. Using shortcuts like “LMAO” helps us respond quickly and keep conversations flowing – why use a long sentence when a simple expression does the same job?

It was often thought that things like LOL and ROFL were popular because younger people and children used them. However, research actually shows adults use these acronyms more frequently in texts. Now that smartphones have full keyboards, typing out words isn’t difficult. But back when people used flip phones – where you had to press a button multiple times for each letter – those shortened terms made sense. That might explain why older generations continue to use them more often.

Linguist Kendra Calhoun explains that using abbreviations like ‘LOL’ isn’t just a modern habit – it has practical roots. Originally, text messages had character limits and cost more to send if they were too long, so people used shorthand to fit their messages into fewer texts. This saved money! But Calhoun points out we’ve always used abbreviations in everyday speech, whether talking about organizations or government rules.

She explained that we often use abbreviations like DHS, NATO, WHO, and CDC simply because they’re quicker to say than write out. This is especially helpful for those who aren’t fast typists, as it saves time and reduces errors. She also pointed out that using these abbreviations can signal that you’re ‘in the know’ and understand how things work within a particular group or field – it shows you’re familiar with the inside language.

As someone who loves seeing how language evolves, it’s fascinating to think about how ‘LOL’ really took off. After becoming common in early online chats, it really cemented itself in our everyday lives with the rise of sites like Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter, plus the explosion of text messaging. Then, around 2007, something truly unique started happening on 4chan: LOLcats. These were pictures of cats being silly or cute, but what really made them special were the captions. They were written as if a cat were trying to type in English – full of deliberate mistakes, misspelled words, and a really playful, childlike voice. That style became known as LOLspeak. The whole thing went viral thanks to a site called I Can Has Cheezburger, which featured a picture of a cat asking for… well, you guessed it, cheezburger!

LOLspeak evolved into a fully-fledged language, complete with its own spelling, grammar, and even preferred fonts. This development led to academic study, and in 2014, the term ‘LOLcat’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. LOLspeak built upon the growing trend of image-based memes that continue to dominate the internet today. In fact, ‘LOL’ has been a source of inspiration for meme content for years, starting with early examples like ‘LOL, Internet’ (2005), ‘LOL WUT’ (2006), and ‘LOL Guy’ (2010). These memes often expressed amusement, confusion, or a playful reminder not to take the internet too seriously.

In 2011, “LOL” officially made it into the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s defined as a word used online to highlight a joke or show amusement. While often seen as a shorthand for “laughing out loud,” the dictionary also recognizes it as a word on its own and even as a verb – people now use terms like “LOLed” or “lol’d,” and the ongoing action is “lolling.” Its popularity even extended to the big screen, becoming the title of a 2012 teen comedy starring Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore.

While “LOL” is most popular in English-speaking countries, similar expressions exist worldwide. For example, French speakers often use “MDR,” which means “died of laughter.” Despite these variations, “LOL” remained a widely used internet expression in 2020.

LOL’s Endurance

We all seem to love using “LOL,” but why has this phrase remained popular for so long? Gretchen McCulloch, an expert in internet language and author of the bestselling book Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, might have the answer. Her book explores how we communicate online, covering everything from classic phrases like LOL to modern uses of emojis and initial reactions.

New words are constantly being created, but only a handful become widely adopted and part of our shared culture. Linguist Alan Metcalf, in his book Predicting New Words, suggests a key reason why some catch on: they shouldn’t feel overly clever. According to Gretchen McCulloch, LOL is a good example. If a new word or acronym feels too smart or showy, people are less likely to actually use it because it comes across as pretentious.

To make her point, she mentioned an old internet abbreviation: “gr8,” which people used to write instead of “great.” She explained that “gr8” faded away because it was just easier to type out the full word. But unlike “gr8,” she thinks “LOL” is still popular because it’s a quick and easy way to show how you’re feeling in a message.

According to McCulloch, “LOL” is surprisingly useful because it filled a gap in written communication – a simple way to show amusement. This sparked a trend, with other expressions like “haha,” which existed previously but gained popularity online, as well as things like smiley faces and emojis. All these tools help us convey our emotions and reactions when we’re communicating digitally.

Who’s Laughing Out Loud Anymore?

You know, it’s funny – I’ve been thinking about “LOL” lately. It seems like these days, we rarely actually mean ‘laugh out loud’ when we type it. It’s become more of a filler, a way to soften a message or just acknowledge something was said. A friend of mine, Weissler, pointed out that it’s almost stopped being an acronym altogether – it’s just become its own little word now, isn’t it?

As a movie lover, I was just thinking about how we communicate online, and it’s funny – I’m not even sure people actually use “LOL” to show they’re laughing anymore! It got me thinking about the big difference between how we talk and how we write. It’s amazing when you consider that not all languages even have a written form. But when a language is written down, it tries to capture all the little things we do when we speak – the tone, the emotion, everything. It’s just way harder to show how you’re feeling in writing than it is when you’re actually talking to someone.

Using “LOL” can often soften a message. For example, someone might say “Sorry I was late, LOL” to make it sound less harsh. It can also be used when delivering serious news to avoid upsetting the other person, or even to dismiss something with a casual “not cool LOL.” However, “LOL” is now so versatile that it can mean almost anything – from genuine amusement to simply lightening the mood. Because it’s lost its original meaning, some people avoid using it altogether. It’s become difficult to know what someone truly means without additional context.

McCulloch explains that ‘LOL’ doesn’t just indicate laughter in a message, it also gives clues about how that laughter should be understood. It’s a way to capture the different nuances of real-life laughter when we’re communicating through text.

People often use “LOL” even when they’re not actually laughing. It can start when someone shares something funny, but you’re not in the mood, so you respond with “LOL” to acknowledge the humor and maybe because you wish you were laughing. Over time, it’s evolved further. Now, laughter – or even just typing “LOL” – can signal that you don’t want something to be taken too seriously. It’s a way of saying, ‘Don’t overthink this,’ and that’s become a common meaning behind it.

Studies of human laughter show we only laugh at actual jokes about 20% of the time. Most laughter during conversations isn’t about humor; it’s a way to connect with others or ease tension. Essentially, we laugh to show we’re on the same side. So, even something like saying ‘I hate you LOL’ can serve a similar social purpose as genuine laughter – it’s not about finding something funny, but about building a connection and signaling social understanding.

Social Media Linguistics

It’s just me, but I’ve decided how I’m going to say “LOL” and “lol” when recording audiobooks. I’ll say “ell oh ell” for “LOL” and “loll” for “lol”.

— Gretchen McCulloch now at @gretchenmcc.bsky.social (@GretchenAMcC) May 7, 2019

Just like historians study ancient writing like hieroglyphics or letters from the 1700s to understand the past, it’s crucial to analyze how we communicate casually online today. However, as Gretchen McCulloch notes, much of what was historically preserved – letters and official documents – represented the formal communication of a small, elite group. Their high social standing is why those writings were considered significant enough to save.

People didn’t just write formally; diaries and postcards offered a more relaxed style, similar to today’s blogs and tweets. That’s where linguists like McCulloch, Weissler, and Calhoun come in. They study how online language changes over time, helping us understand how we communicate and evolve. Their work could even give future generations a glimpse into our history, told through the everyday language of ordinary people. As Weissler points out, platforms like Twitter are incredibly valuable for tracking language trends and the use of words like ‘LOL’.

Twitter provides a massive collection of public text data that linguists can analyze. By examining dates, times, and user information, they can track how language changes over time – things like how often certain words or phrases are used in different months or years. Specifically, linguists can use Twitter to study the use of terms like ‘LOL’, figuring out where and when it appears, and who is using it – considering factors like age, gender, and ethnicity.

Spoken language disappears as soon as it’s said, making it hard to study how people actually use it. We often have to rely on surveys asking people to remember what they said. Luckily, ‘LOL’ has been around in writing for quite a while, giving researchers a valuable record of how it’s been used over time.

As a film buff, I always find it fascinating how language evolves, and Calhoun makes a great point – platforms like Twitter are amazing for spotting changes as they happen. A lot of linguists I’ve read about do deep dives, either by asking people directly or just hanging out and observing how they talk. But honestly, things like texts and private messages? Those are way harder to get your hands on and study – they’re not out in the open like public posts.

Collecting data from platforms like WhatsApp, text messaging, and Facebook Messenger is challenging because it relies on people voluntarily sharing their language. Linguistics is a diverse field with many specialized areas, and while these areas often connect, each one also offers unique insights. Fortunately, we can draw on knowledge from all these different areas of study.

LOL’s Future in Society

Even with the rise of many new online expressions and emojis, “LOL” remains popular. While Facebook once claimed it was no longer used in 2015, that was only based on data from their own site. Millennial Weissler says her generation still uses “LOL” in everyday conversation, and she thinks future generations will continue to use it, perhaps without knowing where it came from.

McCulloch shared this idea, using the word ‘okay’ as an example. She explained that ‘O.K.’ originated almost 200 years ago as a playful misspelling of ‘all correct’ – it started as an inside joke. Just like that, she suggests, people might one day use ‘LOL’ without realizing it originally stood for ‘laughing out loud’.

I believe that abbreviations like LOL, OMG, and WTF are the most likely to become widely accepted and stick around for a long time. Even if people forget what the letters originally meant, or don’t care, LOL especially seems likely to outlive its initial context and become a standard part of language.

As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk, and how different ways of speaking are valued. It’s fascinating to me that there’s this rigid line drawn between casual language and what’s considered ‘professional.’ I recently learned from a linguist named Weissler, who studies things like African-American Vernacular English, that all ways of speaking are actually valid. What’s often seen as ‘standard’ or ‘professional’ language is really just what’s been historically established by white people. It’s also striking that Black linguists are seriously underrepresented in the field, as both Weissler and Calhoun have pointed out. And think about something as simple as ‘LOL’ – everyone online uses it, regardless of their background! As we spend more and more time online, I wonder if the distinction between internet slang and ‘professional’ language will start to blur, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.

According to Weissler, language naturally changes over time – it’s a normal process we see happening all around us. Just as humans evolve, so does language, with new words constantly being added. She believes that internet slang could eventually become acceptable even in professional settings, unless social and economic inequalities, racism, and other biases prevent it.

Weissler discussed how restricting language online could create unfair situations. They pointed out that a Black person using casual internet slang at work might face different consequences than a white person using the same language. Weissler believes these kinds of unspoken rules and barriers will likely continue to limit whose voice is truly heard, and it’s an important issue we need to address.

According to Calhoun, whether or not “LOL” and similar expressions become acceptable in professional settings depends on the specific workplace culture. How employees communicate with each other, both in person and online, will influence this. Calhoun also believes the distinction between casual and formal language will likely always exist due to the natural hierarchies within any organization.

When most people in a workplace or school are younger, the idea of what counts as ‘professional’ language can be more open and adaptable. Many offices now use informal communication tools like Slack or Google Chat instead of just email, and that’s still professional communication. These platforms often allow for more relaxed and flexible language than traditional methods.

I believe these distinctions in language will likely always exist because people tend to reinforce social hierarchies by labeling certain ways of speaking as ‘professional’ and others as ‘unacceptable.’ It’s about power – those in positions of authority often expect others to communicate just like them. There’s a strong desire to preserve the language patterns historically used by white, middle- and upper-class men who dominated these environments. Ideally, we’d reach a point where casual language, like using ‘LOL’ in an email, wouldn’t be considered unprofessional.

The story of ‘LOL’ – from its humble beginnings on early internet forums to its current, multifaceted use across generations – is a fascinating one. It shows us how language evolves and spreads in our increasingly connected world. Ultimately, ‘LOL’ reminds us that all language, in all its forms, is important, valuable, and contributes to the ongoing story of humanity. Here’s to ‘LOL’ and all the ways it’s used!

2026-02-09 20:08