You'll Never Believe How Long "Texting Lingo" Has Actually Been Around | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

You'll Never Believe How Long "Texting Lingo" Has Actually Been Around

OMG, they said that back then?

28
You'll Never Believe How Long "Texting Lingo" Has Actually Been Around
CoffeeMeetsBagel

A very common way people communicate nowadays is over texting (sometimes even more than face-to-face communication!), and, because we are so innovative and need to save time, we have found many ways to shorten our words.

The following commonly known acronyms are used so often that they are considered basic vocabulary for some. However, they have been around a lot longer than we thought!


1: LOL – “Laughing Out Loud” – Used when something is funny.

Before becoming commonly used on the internet, this was common in letter-writing, meaning “lots of love” or “lots of luck." The online version can date back to the early 80’s in Canada when a student, Wayne Pearson, coined the term.

“I always emphasized that it was to be used only if you truly laughed out loud,” Pearson wrote in a post giving him the crown of inventing the phrase.

Although this phrase was intended to be used when someone is laughing out loud, it is most commonly used now whenever someone thinks this is funny in the slightest. When one sees a meme or a lame joke online, the most common response is "LOL" even if it didn't make that person truly laugh out loud, therefore slowly diminishing the intended purpose of this acronym to now being the placeholder for when one doesn't have anything else to say.


2: YOLO – “You Only Live once” – Often used as an excuse to make irresponsible decisions.

Commonly known from the song “The Motto” by Drake, surprisingly enough this phrase goes back to the 18th century when Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used an expression translating to “one lives but once in the world” in the play “Clavigo."

Fast-forwarding to the modern use of the acronym, the exposure began in at least 2004. Adam Mesh, a former contestant on the reality show “Average Joe,” printed the phrase on a line of T-shirts. In 2012, Mesh tweeted, “When I created the word it was meant as inspiration to live life to the fullest. Disappointed in current use. I have moved on.” This is referring to the social stimulus of using the acronym to skip a class, get drunk, or do anything that doesn’t contribute to the full potential of life in a responsible sense.


3: OMG – “Oh My Gosh” – Used when shocked or surprised.

This acronym dates back to 1917 when John Arbuthnot Fisher, 75-year-old Fist Baron Fisher of Kilverstone, sent a letter to Winston Churchill. This letter (pictured above) concluded with “I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis – O.M.G. (Oh! My God!) – Shower in on the Admiralty! [(Knight me, please!)]”

In 1994, the Oxford English Dictionary traced it back to a post on a Usenet Forum about TV soap operas that read, “OMG! What did I say?”


I am definitely guilty of using all of these acronyms on a daily basis. I am innocent, however, of using them in my verbal dialogue; I only use them online or over text messaging. I will admit I have used a few in person just to be funny, but, as an English major, I die inside every time they're spoken, so I’ve learned to refrain from it.

I had no idea these phrases have been around so long. Winston Churchill receiving a letter with “OMG” in it? I would never have guessed seeing this because of the millennials who use these phrases and the social acceptance of the irresponsible meaning behind using each one.

However, not all who use these acronyms are irresponsible people who want to party all night. The beginning intention of these slang terms was and continues to be shortening a word, or series of words, to make it faster to type out a message, saving us all time to get on with our lives. Some people just use that time different'y than others; creating the social stereotype of people who use these acronyms regularly to be unpractical beings.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

177981
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

5119
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451102
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22550
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments