Lolcat Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
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lolcat
[lɒl.kæt ]
Definition
internet culture
Lolcat refers to a meme that consists of images of cats with text, usually written in a playful, humorous, or misspelled form of English. These images often showcase cats in various situations with captions that represent their imagined internal thoughts or feelings, often starting with 'I Can Has Cheezburger?'. Lolcats became popular in the mid-2000s and contributed to the rise of internet humor dominated by cute animals. The meme plays on the absurdity of the cat's expression, enhancing the comedic value.
Synonyms
cat humor, cat meme, feline meme.
Examples of usage
- Check out this adorable lolcat meme with a silly caption!
- I spent hours scrolling through lolcats on the internet.
- Lolcats are great for lifting your spirits with their funny antics.
- The new lolcat series has more puns than ever!
Translations
To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.
Interesting Facts
Internet Culture
- Lolcats appeared in the early 2000s as part of meme culture, becoming a staple of online humor that transcends generations.
- The 'I Can Haz Cheezburger?' website, launched in 2007, popularized lolcats, making it a central hub for cat memes.
Psychology
- People often find humor in exaggerated emotions, which is why seeing a cat with a funny caption can lighten their mood.
- Engaging with lolcats can create a sense of community among users, as they share these whimsical and relatable images.
Art and Media
- Lolcat images frequently use a specific type of broken English known as 'lolspeak', contributing to their unique charm.
- Various books and even documentaries have been produced about lolcats, reflecting their impact on internet culture.
Technology
- The rise of social media platforms has made sharing lolcats easier, contributing to their popularity and evolution.
- Many apps and websites now allow users to create their own lolcat images, showcasing the collaborative nature of internet culture.
Origin of 'lolcat'
Main points about word origin
- The term 'lolcat' emerged from combining 'LOL' (laugh out loud) and 'cat', highlighting the intended humor around these images.
- The phrase 'I Can Haz Cheezburger?' became a viral catchphrase and is often linked to the early lolcat phenomenon.
The term 'lolcat' is a portmanteau of 'LOL', an acronym for 'laugh out loud', and 'cat', referring to the many images of cats used in this meme. The phenomenon began on the internet in the early 2000s, gaining significant popularity through websites like icanhas.cheezburger.com, which was created in 2007. The combination of amusing cat images along with deliberately misspelled captions that mimic a child's language or a cat's imagined speech captivated a wide audience. This playful linguistic style, often referred to as 'LOLspeak', helped proliferate the meme across various social media platforms and forums. The success of lolcats inspired a variety of merchandise, books, and even adaptations in popular culture, making it a notable fixture in the annals of internet history.