What Does “ASL” Mean? A Definition + How To Use It…
Been asked for your ASL and not sure what to respond? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – but you’re on your own from there!
Having been in a relationship that predates Tinder and having not been in an online chat room since the mid-2000s, it’s been a while since I’ve heard this abbreviation in conversation, but according to our sources, a lot of you are asking Google what “ASL” means.
Even us late-era, “It’s not a phase” millennials struggled to keep up at times, consulting the Urban Dictionary regularly in order to know what was going on in the MSN group chat.
Back to today though – if you’re involved in the dating scene, “ASL” could well be an abbreviation that crops up in your dating app conversations, as it is a simple way to ask three important questions at once.
What Does ASL Mean?
“ASL” stands for “Age/Sex/Location”, and it’s a simple method to get some of the most crucial questions out of the way all at once, whether you’ve been asked it or want to obtain this information from someone new that you’re conversing with.
First things first, though, it’s not something you should usually open a conversation with. It’s almost robotic and says a lot about your character in that you’re asking some very personal questions before even striking up a human conversation.
That is only a suggestion of course though – we’re certainly not here to offer dating advice. You do you, and head into each new conversation knowing that you can cut to the chase in getting a better picture of your new acquaintance without having to beat around the bush.
When To Ask ASL
Now that you know the meaning of “ASL”, it’s probably quite clear to you which situations it should be used in.
“ASL” is certainly not something you’re going to ask somebody you already know, nor is it a way to get to know a new professional client.
It is, however, a perfectly acceptable set of questions to ask somebody you’ve just met on social media, albeit in specific circumstances, or on a dating app in the majority of instances.
And in terms of “When to answer ASL?”, it is absolutely never if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.
When Was ASL First Used?
While I admit I haven’t looked through countless historical documents or checked out every inch of hieroglyphics on the walls of the Egyptian pyramids to confirm this, “ASL” was basically born alongside internet chatrooms in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
This era was the revolution of internet slang, abbreviations, initialisms and acronyms that were created to speed up conversations and save a lot of typing. Other examples include the likes of “lol”, “btw”, “brb” and many more that you likely already know.
“ASL” was usually the first thing that a person typed in a chat room to get to know a bit more about the person they were talking to. The three questions that are asked by “ASL?” would be used to immediately indicate to each user whether continuing the conversation was appropriate or desirable.
Much better than a 21-year-old straight male from New York realising they’ve been talking to a 34-year-old straight male from Scotland for three hours before realising these facts.
Jake McEvoy
Jake is a professional copywriter, journalist, and life-long fan of technology. He covers news and user guides for KnowYourMobile.Keep Reading
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