The Evolution of "lol"

Taking a look at "lol" is like an etymological study in fast forward. I mean, it probably took a couple of generations at least for the Canadian "eh" to settle in to its current status. Not so with "lol." This abbreviation/short hand notation has gone from a way to save money on the per-character cost of texting to actually being pronounced. That's right. I've heard it two different ways:

There's "lawl" which sounds decidedly lower class next to the French-sounding option of "ellowell."

I find it hard to believe there is that much laughing out loud in reality. But I have been keeping my eyes and ears open the past few weeks to try and decipher the colloquial usage of the term. It is still being added to, but here is my partial list:

1. When offered in response to someone else's wit, it most often means "I am laughing out loud on the inside." (Oxymoron.)

2. When used to tag your own comment (easily 85% of the cases) it can mean many things;

--I think I am funny.

--I think I am clever.

--Don't you think I am funny?

--Don't you think I am clever?

--You should.

--Because I am.

(Please note, the actual funniness or cleverness of the comment is irrelevant. Conservatively, 94% of the comments it tags are neither funny nor clever.)

3. A passive-aggressive safe word. As in, "I am going to insult you now. I can't help it. I am a bitch/douche bag. But I don't want anyone else to think I am a bitch/douche bag so I will laugh out loud when I write this on your social network page. That way, the people reading it will all laugh out loud on the inside as well. But they will still be thinking about what I said about you. Only, with the laughing part, the rudeness of my remark will roll away from me and stick to you instead. Like digital cooties."

Please feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment!