I would like to offer the view that acronyms like "ROFLMAO" are borne of an Internet and txtspeak age: prone simultaneously to abbreviation and hyperbole.
The kind of thing you're wanting to express in more measured tones already existed in English as a rich variety of onomatopœic terms: snort, chuckle, giggle, titter, guffaw, heh, hee, ha, ho, etc.
Personally, I don't think I've ever used "ROFLMAO". "Raffle mayo", once or twice, with dripping, over-egged irony, maybe, but not "ROFLMAO". The only modern acronym indicating hilarity I use is "LOL", which is realistically useful in a literal sense.
Then there are a few modern onomatopœiæ that I use: sporfle, snerk, squee, etc.
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Date: 2009-06-28 10:34 am (UTC)The kind of thing you're wanting to express in more measured tones already existed in English as a rich variety of onomatopœic terms: snort, chuckle, giggle, titter, guffaw, heh, hee, ha, ho, etc.
Personally, I don't think I've ever used "ROFLMAO". "Raffle mayo", once or twice, with dripping, over-egged irony, maybe, but not "ROFLMAO". The only modern acronym indicating hilarity I use is "LOL", which is realistically useful in a literal sense.
Then there are a few modern onomatopœiæ that I use: sporfle, snerk, squee, etc.