IJBOL: The newest laughter trend in Gen-Z glossary
Are you someone who still replies LOL (laugh out loud) to a funny text? Then, it is time to move on. Laughter abbreviations have evolved over the years. You have been living under a rock if you are unaware of them. The latest laughter abbreviation addition to the list is IJBOL. Pronounced as "eej-bowl," the acronym stands for "I just burst out laughing."
Understanding IJBOL
Interestingly, the expression IJBOL is there in the urban dictionary since 2009. "When someone says something extremely funny you can say IJBOL instead of LOL," wrote Urban Dictionary in its definition. The term today is a trendy pop-culture slang among Gen-Zers and is often used in online chats across social media platforms. It has gained significant traction in TikTok.
Netizens termed Kamala Harris as the IJBOL meme queen
While the phrase doesn't stand out among other laughing abbreviations, it does represent something people commonly do: burst into an audible, full-belly laughter. However, it particularly highlights a type of laughter that arises in unsuitable or inopportune circumstances. Netizens have dubbed United States Vice President Kamala Harris as the embodiment of IJBOL, as videos of her chuckling spontaneously have gone viral.
"Kamala Harris is seen always laughing"
First used among the K-pop community
While the phrase IJBOL was initially used in 2009, it received little notice at the time. However, from 2021 onward, it gained popularity within the K-pop community, leading some to mistake it for a Korean expression. According to some accounts, it is a term K-pop followers use to describe famous people who are recognized for their contagious laughing.
Other laughing abbreviations
Reportedly, LOL first appeared in the 1980s and soon became a word for funny. While LOL is still one of the most commonly known and used laughing abbreviations, there have been other terms that were coined after LOL, notably ROFL ("rolling on the floor laughing") and LMAO ("laughing my ass off"). Though not-so-vogue, ROFL and LMAO are often used to describe something extremely funny.
