LOL

LOL is an acronym for ‘laugh out loud’ or ‘laughing out loud’. It is being increasingly used in internet and cellular textual communication. Although, some may also use it to mean ‘lots of love’, the majority would be using the abbreviation to indicate their expression of mirth. However, it is a matter of conjecture whether the person, who writes LOL as a response, is actually laughing out aloud or only saying so.

Interestingly, ‘LOL’ as a native Dutch word means ‘fun’ while in Welsh, it means ‘nonsense’. But as an acronym it is open to as many meanings as laughter can have… it can express glee, joy, delight, amusement, contempt, sarcasm, scorn, ridicule, derision, etc, etc. hence, ‘LOL’ does not tell us of a singular, specific response.

It is pertinent to note that e-communication can obscure real responses under generalized initializations. Surely it would be better to receive responses such as ‘that’s funny’ or ‘that’s not funny’ or ‘what’s so funny’ or ‘so that’s funny according to you’, so on and so forth instead of a repetitive ‘LOL’ which is open to different analysis. Exceptions would include cases when both persons on either side of the message are in tune with only one understanding of the term that is used.

Acronyms are wonderful things as long as they are singular in meaning. After all, it is more important to express rather than impress. Our communication will be better if our responses do not get expressed in generalizations which may not reflect our real response.

To BE BETTER at communicating our true feelings
We must avoid expressions with multiple meanings

:-) Pravin K. Sabnis