What Does ROFL Mean?

Acronyms are sometimes used in text messaging and Internet chat rooms to expedite communication.

The acronym ROFL is a quick abbreviation for the phrase "rolling on the floor laughing." It is often used in cell phone text messages or Internet communications to indicate that a previous comment was humorous.

Uses

ROFL became popular during the early days of the Internet when chat rooms were popular. Chat rooms allowed users all over the world to converse by typing back and forth to each other. Phrases like ROFL became a shorthand technique to express emotions and reactions.

Degree of Humor

ROFL is normally used to refer to something that is very funny. The term LOL, or "laughing out loud," is the most common used acronym to express laughter in written form. It is used frequently, while ROFL is generally reserved for the funniest of comments.

Other examples

ROFL is just one example of many acronyms used to expedite text messages and Internet chat. BRB is often used for the phrase "be right back." AFK means "away from keyboard." Punctuation marks are sometimes used to convey emotion in the written word as well. The smiley face, : ), is used for many different purposes.

References

• Sandusky: Common Internet Chat Abbreviations
• Chat 101: Abbreviations