April 19th, 2010 / 6:45 pm
 Random

On semiotics

The best way to describe a cat is to use the letters c, a, and t. Every word contains a world, and some wonder why we still write. Two arms and a head is shorthand for “man drowning”; lol is an acronym for “laugh out loud,” usually used glibly as hyperbole. When semiotics meets semantics, there is a surreal incident of uncanny humor — an illustration with its own inverse reaction embodied in it. Insert a hyphen in 911 and you have 9-11, the latter date on which the former number was no doubt dialed. As we move along, as the mutt of history and words grows up, let us know when to laugh, when to laugh out loud, and when to remain silent.

[image via fail blog]

36 Comments

  1. April 19th, 2010 / 10:56 pm anon—

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lol~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  2. April 19th, 2010 / 6:56 pm anon—

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lol~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  3. April 19th, 2010 / 10:57 pm Jimmy Chen—

      exactly

  4. April 19th, 2010 / 6:57 pm Jimmy Chen—

      exactly

  5. April 19th, 2010 / 11:05 pm anon—

      It’s a lol drowning in a sea of tildes.

  6. April 19th, 2010 / 7:05 pm anon—

      It’s a lol drowning in a sea of tildes.

  7. April 19th, 2010 / 11:07 pm Jimmy Chen—

      tides/tildes, this can go on forever

  8. April 19th, 2010 / 7:07 pm Jimmy Chen—

      tides/tildes, this can go on forever

  9. April 19th, 2010 / 11:13 pm tao—

      lol…

  10. April 19th, 2010 / 7:13 pm tao—

      lol…

  11. April 19th, 2010 / 11:31 pm anon—

      im laughing at this load…

  12. April 19th, 2010 / 7:31 pm anon—

      im laughing at this load…

  13. April 19th, 2010 / 11:38 pm anon—

      If I make a good comment, every anon benefits.

  14. April 19th, 2010 / 7:38 pm anon—

      If I make a good comment, every anon benefits.

  15. April 20th, 2010 / 12:45 am Donald—

      I find this post pleasant

  16. April 19th, 2010 / 8:45 pm Donald—

      I find this post pleasant

  17. April 20th, 2010 / 2:49 am alan—

      The question is, as Stevie Smith might have put it today, how many of us are not lol-ing but drowning?

  18. April 19th, 2010 / 10:49 pm alan—

      The question is, as Stevie Smith might have put it today, how many of us are not lol-ing but drowning?

  19. April 20th, 2010 / 3:25 am Matt Cozart—

      at least he’s in calm waters

  20. April 19th, 2010 / 11:25 pm Matt Cozart—

      at least he’s in calm waters

  21. April 20th, 2010 / 4:55 am zusya—

      ;)
      oo
      x
      Y

  22. April 20th, 2010 / 4:56 am zusya—

      one more:

      hey \o\

      ho /o/

      hey \o\

      ho /o/

  23. April 20th, 2010 / 4:58 am zusya—

      not with that tone, anon2…

      show your work! re: benefits

  24. April 20th, 2010 / 12:01 pm Jhon Baker—

      this is a great post. Love the inserted though at the end.

  25. April 20th, 2010 / 8:01 am Jhon Baker—

      this is a great post. Love the inserted though at the end.

  26. April 20th, 2010 / 3:12 pm Merzmensch—

      LOL = laugh out loud = .-.. — .-..
      SOS = save our souls = … — …

  27. April 20th, 2010 / 11:12 am Merzmensch—

      LOL = laugh out loud = .-.. — .-..
      SOS = save our souls = … — …

  28. April 20th, 2010 / 5:15 pm stephen—

      what do you call a guy with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?
      bob.

      what do you call a baby with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?
      fucked.

      what do you call a guy with no arms and no legs on a wall?
      art.

  29. April 20th, 2010 / 5:15 pm stephen—

      also, hehe :) nice jimmy

  30. April 20th, 2010 / 1:15 pm stephen—

      what do you call a guy with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?
      bob.

      what do you call a baby with no arms and no legs in the middle of the ocean?
      fucked.

      what do you call a guy with no arms and no legs on a wall?
      art.

  31. April 20th, 2010 / 1:15 pm stephen—

      also, hehe :) nice jimmy

  32. April 20th, 2010 / 8:12 pm ce.—

      HTMLG needs a “Like” button so I can like a post without expending the finger strength of typing a comment. Can you get on that Gene?

  33. April 20th, 2010 / 4:12 pm ce.—

      HTMLG needs a “Like” button so I can like a post without expending the finger strength of typing a comment. Can you get on that Gene?

  34. April 20th, 2010 / 9:06 pm zusya—

      lol < Help! I'm drowning!

      sos < Help! My arms have been turned into jello!

      zoz < Help! I can't stop walking like an Egyptian!

  35. April 24th, 2010 / 4:48 pm beardo—

      <<<<<<<<<<<<<< likes

  36. April 24th, 2010 / 12:48 pm beardo—

      <<<<<<<<<<<<<< likes