Important announcement: “LOL” stands for “laughing out loud,” not “I am vaguely amused.”  Thus, it is appropriate to write “LOL” only when you are literally laughing out loud.  Unless you are (1) a hyena, or (2) terribly ironic, do not send emails that contain sentences such as, “It was great to see you last night–I love that restaurant lol!” or “Usually I’m not this busy lol!” Suggesting that you are laughing out loud, when you clearly should not be, will cause an intelligent recipient to think you are crazy, illiterate, or both.

Advertisement