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A lolcat (pronounced /ˈlɒlkæt/ LOL-kat), or LOLcat, is an image macro of one or more cats. Lolcat images' idiosyncratic and intentionally grammatically incorrect text is known as lolspeak.^[1]

Lolcat is a compound word of the acronymic abbreviation LOL (laugh out loud) and the word "cat".^[2]^[3] A synonym for lolcat is cat macro or cat meme, since the images are a type of image macro and also a well-known genre of Internet meme.^[4] Lolcats are commonly designed for photo sharing imageboards and other Internet forums.

History

A Brighton Cats carte de visite by Harry Pointer, c. 1870s

British portrait photographer Harry Pointer created a carte de visite series featuring cats posed in various situations in the early 1870s. To these he usually added amusing text intended to further enhance their appeal.^[5] These souvenir cards were known as Brighton Cats. Other early figures include Harry Whittier Frees and (using taxidermied animals) Walter Potter.^[6]

The first recorded use of the term "lolcat" was used on 4chan, an anonymous imageboard.^[7]^[8]^[9] The word "Lolcat" was in use as early as June 2006; the domain name lolcats.com was registered on June 14, 2006.^[10] Their popularity was spread through usage on forums such as Something Awful.^[11] The News Journal states that "some trace the lolcats back to the site 4chan, which features bizarre cat pictures on Saturdays, or 'Caturdays'." Ikenburg adds that the images have been "slinking around the Internet for years under various labels, but they did not become a sensation until early 2007 with the advent of I Can Has Cheezburger? "^[12] The first image on "I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?" was posted on January 11, 2007, and was allegedly from the Something Awful website."^[13]^[14] Lev Grossman of Time wrote that the oldest known example "probably dates to 2006",^[15] but later corrected himself in a blog post^[16] where he recanted his statement based on the anecdotal evidence readers had sent him, placing the origin of "Caturday" and many of the images now known by a few as "lolcats" in early 2005. The domain name "caturday.com" was registered on April 30, 2005.^[17]

The term lolcat gained national media attention in the United States when it was covered by Time, which wrote that non-commercialized phenomena of the sort are increasingly rare, stating that lolcats have "a distinctly old-school, early 1990s, Usenet feel to [them]".^[18] Entertainment Weekly put them on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Da cutest distractshun of da decaid? Y, lolcats of corse! We can neber haz enuf of deez capshioned pics of cuddlie kittehs."^[19] "Lolcat" was also a runner-up under the "Most Creative" category under the American Dialect Society Word of the Year Awards, losing out to "Googlegänger".^[20]

Format

A lolcat image on the icanhascheezburger.com website in 2007^[21]

Lolcat is a compound word made from the acronym "LOL" and "cat". Lolcat images comprise a photo of a cat with a large caption characteristically superimposed onto the image in a heavy, sans-serif font such as Impact or Arial Black.^[22] Such images and memes following the format are often digitally edited for comedic effect.

Captions act as a speech balloon encompassing a comment from the cat, or as a description of the depicted scene. The caption is intentionally written with deviations from standard English spelling and grammar,^[22] featuring "strangely-conjugated verbs, but a tendency to converge to a new set of rules in spelling and grammar".^[22]^[23]^[24]^{[failed verification]}

The text parodies the grammar-poor patois stereotypically attributed to Internet slang. Frequently, lolcat captions take the form of phrasal templates.^[24] Some phrases have a known source, usually a well-known Internet meme, such as All your base are belong to us or Do not want,^[25] while others don't. The language of lolcats has also been likened to baby talk,^[26] however it draws on a variety of linguistic resources, not just the imitation of baby talk.^[27]

Common themes include jokes of the form "Im in ur [noun], [verb]-ing ur [related noun]."^[28] Many lolcat images capture cats performing characteristically human actions or appearing to use modern technology, such as computers.^{[citation needed]}

There are several well-known Lolcat images and single-word captions that have spawned many variations and imitations, including "Ceiling Cat" (see below). Others include Fail (a cat with a slice of processed cheese on its face)^[29] and "I Can Has Cheezburger" (a portrait of a blue British Shorthair).^[30] Another popular format is "[Adjective] cat is [adjective/noun]."

Recurring characters

"Ceiling Cat" is a character spawned by the meme. The original image was an image macro with a picture of a cat looking out of a hole in a ceiling, captioned "Ceiling Cat is watching you masturbate."^[31] There followed numerous examples with the format "Ceiling Cat is watching you [verb ending in / rhyming with -ate]" with Ceiling Cat superimposed in the upper left hand corner of an image macro depicting the appropriate action. The underlying theme is that the cat is looking down on one, almost in a form of judgment.

"Ceiling Cat" and the corresponding "Basement Cat" (a black cat who lives in the basement) are said to represent good and evil in the lolcat universe, and in some cases God and Satan, as in the LOLCat Bible Translation Project.^[1]^[32]^[33]

Ceiling Cat by Eva & Franco Mattes, a 2016 taxidermy cat installation mimicking the meme, is in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.^[34]

Offshoots and parodies

Variations on the lolcat concept include captioning photos of other animals in a similar style (e.g. loldogs for dogs, etc.).

The syntax of lolcat captions was used as the basis for LOLCODE, an esoteric programming language with interpreters and compilers available in .NET Framework, Perl, etc.^[2]

In the Java edition of the video game Minecraft, there is an option to change language settings to LOLCAT.

Another example is Polandball, which uses broken English, reminiscent of the lolcat meme.

lolcat, a variant of the Unix utility cat, outputs text in rainbow colours.^[35]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Amter, Charlie (December 16, 2007). "Lolcat Bible Translation Project presents the Gospel according to Fluffy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Silverman, Dwight (June 6, 2007). "Web photo phenomenon centers on felines, poor spelling". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
^ Rutkoff, Aaron (August 25, 2007). "With 'LOLcats' Internet Fad, Anyone Can Get In on the Joke". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
^ Salas, Randy A. (June 9, 2007). "Laugh at cat humor". Akron Beacon Journal, Star Tribune. Retrieved June 17, 2007. At first, they were called cat macros, but now go mostly by the name lolcats.
^ "Harry Pointer's Brighton Cats". Photohistory-sussex.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ Cyriaque Lamar (April 9, 2012). "Even in the 1870s, humans were obsessed with ridiculous photos of cats". Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
^ Langton, Jerry (September 22, 2007). "Funny how 'stupid' site is addictive". The Star. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
^ "Iz not cats everywhere? Online trend spreads across campus". Archived from the original on November 17, 2007.
^ smith, david. "the unseen face behind today's counterculture". Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
^ "WHOIS domain registration information results for lolcats.com from". Network Solutions. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ Tom Whitwell (May 12, 2007). "Microtrends: LOLcats". The Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
^ "Lolcats' demented captions create a new Web language," Tamara Ikenberg, The News Journal, July 9, 2007
^ "About « Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures – I Can Has Cheezburger?". Icanhascheezburger.com. December 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ "Original Picture, cheezburger, ICANHASCHEEZBURGER, September 26, 2007 icanhascheezburger.com Archived August 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ Lev Grossman (July 12, 2007). "Creating a Cute Cat Frenzy". Time. Archived from the original on July 16, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007. this has also spawned the digg dog which is part of the popular site titled digg.com
^ Lev Grossman (July 16, 2007). "Lolcats Addendum: Where I Got the Story Wrong". TIME. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
^ "Whois Domain Information For Caturday.com". Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
^ Grossman, Lev (July 12, 2007). "Cashing in on Cute Cats". Time. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2007. Partial scan of the print edition: fcrunk.wellimean.com Archived August 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ Geier, Thom, et al. (December 11, 2009). "The 100 Greatest Movies, TV shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that entertained us over the past 10 Years ". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84
^ "Americandialect.org" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ tofuburger (October 18, 2007). "I ARE SERIOUS CAT « lolcats 'n' funny pictures". I Can Has Cheezburger?. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Anil Dash (April 23, 2007). "Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar". Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
^ Annalee Newitz (April 27, 2007). "I'M IN YR X Y-ING YOUR Z – A Grammar of Lolcats". Table of Malcontents, a Wired blog. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2007. These images ... usually include a cute cat saying something related to buckets, cheeseburgers, or whatever else with strangely-conjugated verbs.
^ ^a ^b Mark Liberman (April 25, 2007). "Language Log: Kitty Pidgin and asymmetrical tail-wags". Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
^ "Top ten Star Wars myths and legends: Do not want". VirginMedia.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
^ Svensson, Peter (April 24, 2008). "Lolcat site needz ur skillz". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
^ Gawne, Lauren; Vaughan, Jill M. (January 2012). "I can haz language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak". Retrieved June 30, 2016.
^ Jay Cridlin (June 1, 2007). "This be funny storyz". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
^ Charles Bremner Toulouse. "Microtrends: Failure – Times Online". The Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ Tozzi, John (July 13, 2007). "Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks". Business Week. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2008.
^ "I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? » Blog Archive » ceiling cat is watching you masturbate". icanhascheezburger.com. January 24, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^ Horan, Brianna. "How one hungry 'kitteh' can has the Internet lol". Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
^ Guzman, Monica (October 19, 2007). "Time killer: The "lolcat" Bible". Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
^ Kennicott, Philip (April 8, 2019). "Museums wants 2 show u memez now. They shud be careful". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
^ "Lolcat – A Command Line Tool to Output Rainbow Of Colors in Linux Terminal". Tecmint. June 13, 2015. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.

References

With 'LOLcats' Internet Fad, Anyone Can Get In on the Joke, The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2007
If you give a cat a keyboard, Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 26, 2007
Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks, BusinessWeek, July 13, 2007
Green, Joshua (2007). "Oh Hai! Cats, the internet, and tactical communities". Receiver Magazine (Autumn). Archived from the original on July 9, 2008.
Agger, Michael (May 21, 2007). "Cat power: You cannot resist lolcats". Slate. Retrieved May 21, 2007.

External links

Listen to this article (8 minutes)

This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 4 April 2008, and does not reflect subsequent edits.

Media related to Lolcats at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition of lolcat at Wiktionary
The dictionary definition of lolspeak at Wiktionary

[latimes-1] Amter, Charlie (December 16, 2007). "Lolcat Bible Translation Project presents the Gospel according to Fluffy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2007.

[Silverman-2] Silverman, Dwight (June 6, 2007). "Web photo phenomenon centers on felines, poor spelling". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.

[wsj-3] Rutkoff, Aaron (August 25, 2007). "With 'LOLcats' Internet Fad, Anyone Can Get In on the Joke". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2008.

[beacon-4] Salas, Randy A. (June 9, 2007). "Laugh at cat humor". Akron Beacon Journal, Star Tribune. Retrieved June 17, 2007. At first, they were called cat macros, but now go mostly by the name lolcats.

[5] "Harry Pointer's Brighton Cats". Photohistory-sussex.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

[6] Cyriaque Lamar (April 9, 2012). "Even in the 1870s, humans were obsessed with ridiculous photos of cats". Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.

[7] Langton, Jerry (September 22, 2007). "Funny how 'stupid' site is addictive". The Star. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.

[8] "Iz not cats everywhere? Online trend spreads across campus". Archived from the original on November 17, 2007.

[9] smith, david. "the unseen face behind today's counterculture". Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2008.

[10] "WHOIS domain registration information results for lolcats.com from". Network Solutions. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

[11] Tom Whitwell (May 12, 2007). "Microtrends: LOLcats". The Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2008.

[12] "Lolcats' demented captions create a new Web language," Tamara Ikenberg, The News Journal, July 9, 2007

[13] "About « Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures – I Can Has Cheezburger?". Icanhascheezburger.com. December 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

[14] "Original Picture, cheezburger, ICANHASCHEEZBURGER, September 26, 2007 icanhascheezburger.com Archived August 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

[15] Lev Grossman (July 12, 2007). "Creating a Cute Cat Frenzy". Time. Archived from the original on July 16, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007. this has also spawned the digg dog which is part of the popular site titled digg.com

[16] Lev Grossman (July 16, 2007). "Lolcats Addendum: Where I Got the Story Wrong". TIME. Retrieved February 15, 2010.

[17] "Whois Domain Information For Caturday.com". Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2015.

[Time-18] Grossman, Lev (July 12, 2007). "Cashing in on Cute Cats". Time. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2007. Partial scan of the print edition: fcrunk.wellimean.com Archived August 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[19] Geier, Thom, et al. (December 11, 2009). "The 100 Greatest Movies, TV shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that entertained us over the past 10 Years ". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84

[20] "Americandialect.org" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

[21] tofuburger (October 18, 2007). "I ARE SERIOUS CAT « lolcats 'n' funny pictures". I Can Has Cheezburger?. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2024.

[cats_has_grammar-22] Anil Dash (April 23, 2007). "Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar". Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2007.

[Newitz_2007-23] Annalee Newitz (April 27, 2007). "I'M IN YR X Y-ING YOUR Z – A Grammar of Lolcats". Table of Malcontents, a Wired blog. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2007. These images ... usually include a cute cat saying something related to buckets, cheeseburgers, or whatever else with strangely-conjugated verbs.

[kitty_pidgin-24] Mark Liberman (April 25, 2007). "Language Log: Kitty Pidgin and asymmetrical tail-wags". Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.

[virgin_myths-25] "Top ten Star Wars myths and legends: Do not want". VirginMedia.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.

[26] Svensson, Peter (April 24, 2008). "Lolcat site needz ur skillz". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.

[27] Gawne, Lauren; Vaughan, Jill M. (January 2012). "I can haz language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak". Retrieved June 30, 2016.

[tampa-28] Jay Cridlin (June 1, 2007). "This be funny storyz". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2008.

[29] Charles Bremner Toulouse. "Microtrends: Failure – Times Online". The Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

[30] Tozzi, John (July 13, 2007). "Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks". Business Week. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2008.

[31] "I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? » Blog Archive » ceiling cat is watching you masturbate". icanhascheezburger.com. January 24, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2017.

[32] Horan, Brianna. "How one hungry 'kitteh' can has the Internet lol". Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2008.

[33] Guzman, Monica (October 19, 2007). "Time killer: The "lolcat" Bible". Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008.

[34] Kennicott, Philip (April 8, 2019). "Museums wants 2 show u memez now. They shud be careful". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.

[35] "Lolcat – A Command Line Tool to Output Rainbow Of Colors in Linux Terminal". Tecmint. June 13, 2015. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Image combining a photograph of a cat with text intended to contribute humour}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
+{{About|the meme|fictional cat from Fairy Tail|Happy (manga character)}}
-{{Distinguish|Lolcow}}[[File:Cat crying (Lolcat).jpg|thumb|A lolcat using the grammatically incorrect "I are ..." format, and employing misspellings for humorous effect]]
+[[File:Cat crying (Lolcat).jpg|thumb|A 2010 lolcat meme using the grammatically incorrect "I are ..." format, and employing misspellings for humorous effect]]
 A '''lolcat''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɒ|l|k|æ|t}} {{respell|LOL|kat}}), or '''LOLcat''', is an [[image macro]] of one or more [[cat]]s. Lolcat images' [[Idiosyncrasy|idiosyncratic]] and intentionally [[grammatically]] incorrect text is known as '''lolspeak'''.<ref name="latimes" />
-Lolcat is a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound word]]<!-- note: not a portmanteau --> of the [[acronymic]] abbreviation [[LOL|LOL (laugh out loud)]] and the word "cat".<ref name="Silverman">{{cite news |first=Dwight |last=Silverman |title=Web photo phenomenon centers on felines, poor spelling |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=June 6, 2007 |url= http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4862013.html |access-date=April 1, 2012 |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130618165552/http://www.chron.com/business/silverman/article/Web-photo-phenomenon-centers-o
+Lolcat is a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound word]]<!-- note: not a portmanteau --> of the [[acronymic]] abbreviation [[LOL|LOL (laugh out loud)]] and the word "cat".<ref name="Silverman">{{cite news |first=Dwight |last=Silverman |title=Web photo phenomenon centers on felines, poor spelling |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=June 6, 2007 |url= http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4862013.html |access-date=April 1, 2012 |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130618165552/http://www.chron.com/business/silverman/article/Web-photo-phenomenon-centers-on-felines-poor-1809345.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wsj">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118798557326508182 |title=With 'LOLcats' Internet Fad, Anyone Can Get In on the Joke |access-date=February 13, 2008 |last=Rutkoff |first=Aaron |date=August 25, 2007 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180715151951/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118798557326508182  |url-status=live }}</ref> A synonym for lolcat is '''cat macro''' or '''cat meme''', since the images are a type of image macro and also a well-known genre of [[Internet meme]].<ref name="beacon">{{cite news <!--|url=http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17346291.htm--> |title=Laugh at cat humor |url=http://www.freep.com/article/20070518/FEATURES10/70518038/On-Web-Cat-lovers-laugh-out-loud-crazy-kitty-humor |first=Randy A. |last=Salas |work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]], [[Star Tribune]] |date=June 9, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2007 |quote=At first, they were called cat macros, but now go mostly by the name lolcats.}}</ref> Lolcats are commonly designed for [[photo sharing]] [[imageboard]]s and other [[Internet forums]].
-on-felines-poor-1809345.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wsj">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118798557326508182 |title=With 'LOLcats' Internet Fad, Anyone Can Get In on the Joke |access-date=February 13, 2008 |last=Rutkoff |first=Aaron |date=August 25, 2007 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180715151951/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118798557326508182  |url-status=live }}</ref> A synonym for lolcat is '''cat macro''' or '''cat meme''', since the images are a type of image macro and also a well-known genre of [[meme]].<ref name="beacon">{{cite news <!--|url=http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17346291.htm--> |title=Laugh at cat humor |url=http://www.freep.com/article/20070518/FEATURES10/70518038/On-Web-Cat-lovers-laugh-out-loud-crazy-kitty-humor |first=Randy A. |last=Salas |work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]], [[Star Tribune]] |date=June 9, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2007 |quote=At first, they were called cat macros, but now go mostly by the name lolcats.}}</ref> Lolcats are commonly designed for [[photo sharing]] [[imageboard]]s and other [[Internet forums]].
 == History ==
-[[File:BTNPointercat01.jpg |thumb|upright|A Brighton Cats carte de visite by Harry Pointer]]
+[[File:BTNPointercat01.jpg |thumb|upright|A Brighton Cats carte de visite by Harry Pointer, {{Circa|1870s}}]]
-British portrait [[photographer]] Harry Pointer created a [[carte de visite]] series featuring cats posed in various situations in the early 1870s. To these he usually added amusing text intended to further enhance their appeal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm |title=Harry Pointer's Brighton Cats |publisher=Photohistory-sussex.co.uk |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022815/http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> These souvenir cards were known as Brighton Cats.
+British portrait [[photographer]] Harry Pointer created a [[carte de visite]] series featuring cats posed in various situations in the early 1870s. To these he usually added amusing text intended to further enhance their appeal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm |title=Harry Pointer's Brighton Cats |publisher=Photohistory-sussex.co.uk |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022815/http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> These souvenir cards were known as Brighton Cats. Other early figures include [[Harry Whittier Frees]] and (using [[Taxidermy|taxidermied]] animals) [[Walter Potter]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Even in the 1870s, humans were obsessed with ridiculous photos of cats |url=http://io9.com/5900334/even-in-the-1870s-humans-were-obsessed-with-ridiculous-photos-of-cats |author=Cyriaque Lamar |date=April 9, 2012 |access-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710171033/http://io9.com/5900334/even-in-the-1870s-humans-were-obsessed-with-ridiculous-photos-of-cats |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Other early figures include [[Harry Whittier Frees]] and (using [[Taxidermy|taxidermied]] animals) [[Walter Potter]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Even in the 1870s, humans were obsessed with ridiculous photos of cats |url=http://io9.com/5900334/even-in-the-1870s-humans-were-obsessed-with-ridiculous-photos-of-cats |author=Cyriaque Lamar |date=April 9, 2012 |access-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710171033/http://io9.com/5900334/even-in-the-1870s-humans-were-obsessed-with-ridiculous-photos-of-cats |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The first recorded use of the term "Lolcat" was used on [[4chan]], an anonymous [[imageboard]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/living/article/257955 |work=The Star |title=Funny how 'stupid' site is addictive |last=Langton |first=Jerry |date=September 22, 2007 |access-date=October 4, 2008 |archive-date=June 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622184259/http://www.thestar.com/living/article/257955 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml |title=Iz not cats everywhere? Online trend spreads across campus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117142809/http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml |archive-date=November 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=david |last=smith |title=the unseen face behind today's counterculture |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/07/23/2003418192 |access-date=August 25, 2008 |archive-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819190907/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/07/23/2003418192 |url-status=live }}</ref> The word "Lolcat" was in use as early as June 2006; the [[domain name]] <code>lolcats.com</code> was registered on June 14, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=lolcats.com |title=WHOIS domain registration information results for lolcats.com from |publisher=Network Solutions |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313204653/http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=lolcats.com |url-status=live }}</ref> Their popularity was spread through usage on forums such as [[Something Awful]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1772506.ece |title=Microtrends: LOLcats |newspaper=[[The Times]] |author=Tom Whitwell |date=May 12, 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2008 |archive-date=August 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830032119/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1772506.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The News Journal]]'' states that "some trace the lolcats back to the site 4chan, which features bizarre cat pictures on Saturdays, or 'Caturdays'." Ikenburg adds that the images have been "slinking around the Internet for years under various labels, but they did not become a sensation until early 2007 with the advent of [[I Can Has Cheezburger?]]"<ref>"Lolcats' demented captions create a new Web language," Tamara Ikenberg, ''[[The News Journal]]'', July 9, 2007</ref> The first image on "I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?" was posted on January 11, 2007, and was allegedly from the [[Something Awful]] website."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icanhascheezburger.com/about |title=About « Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures&nbsp;– I Can Has Cheezburger? |publisher=Icanhascheezburger.com |date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127200651/http://icanhascheezburger.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>"Original Picture, cheezburger, ''ICANHASCHEEZBURGER'', September 26, 2007 [http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/11/i-can-has-cheezburger/ icanhascheezburger.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810192710/http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/11/i-can-has-cheezburger/ |date=August 10, 2007 }}</ref> Lev Grossman of ''Time'' wrote that the oldest known example "probably dates to 2006",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |title=Creating a Cute Cat Frenzy |author=Lev Grossman |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 12, 2007 |access-date=July 16, 2007 |quote=this has also spawned the digg dog which is part of the popular site titled digg.com |archive-date=July 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716080708/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> but later corrected himself in a blog post<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://techland.com/2007/07/16/lolcats_addendum_where_i_got_t/ |title=Lolcats Addendum: Where I Got the Story Wrong |author=Lev Grossman |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date=July 16, 2007 |access-date=February 15, 2010}}</ref> where he recanted his statement based on the anecdotal evidence readers had sent him, placing the origin of "Caturday" and many of the images now known by a few as "lolcats" in early 2005. The domain name "caturday.com" was registered on April 30, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whois.domaintools.com/caturday.com |title=Whois Domain Information For Caturday.com |access-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-date=January 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119150249/http://whois.domaintools.com/caturday.com |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The first recorded use of the term "lolcat" was used on [[4chan]], an anonymous [[imageboard]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/living/article/257955 |work=The Star |title=Funny how 'stupid' site is addictive |last=Langton |first=Jerry |date=September 22, 2007 |access-date=October 4, 2008 |archive-date=June 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622184259/http://www.thestar.com/living/article/257955 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml |title=Iz not cats everywhere? Online trend spreads across campus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117142809/http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml |archive-date=November 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=david |last=smith |title=the unseen face behind today's counterculture |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/07/23/2003418192 |access-date=August 25, 2008 |archive-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819190907/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/07/23/2003418192 |url-status=live }}</ref> The word "Lolcat" was in use as early as June 2006; the [[domain name]] <code>lolcats.com</code> was registered on June 14, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=lolcats.com |title=WHOIS domain registration information results for lolcats.com from |publisher=Network Solutions |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313204653/http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=lolcats.com |url-status=live }}</ref> Their popularity was spread through usage on forums such as [[Something Awful]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1772506.ece |title=Microtrends: LOLcats |newspaper=[[The Times]] |author=Tom Whitwell |date=May 12, 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2008 |archive-date=August 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830032119/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1772506.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[The News Journal]]'' states that "some trace the lolcats back to the site 4chan, which features bizarre cat pictures on Saturdays, or 'Caturdays'." Ikenburg adds that the images have been "slinking around the Internet for years under various labels, but they did not become a sensation until early 2007 with the advent of [[I Can Has Cheezburger?]]    "<ref>"Lolcats' demented captions create a new Web language," Tamara Ikenberg, ''[[The News Journal]]'', July 9, 2007</ref> The first image on "I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?" was posted on January 11, 2007, and was allegedly from the [[Something Awful]] website."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icanhascheezburger.com/about |title=About « Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures&nbsp;– I Can Has Cheezburger? |publisher=Icanhascheezburger.com |date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127200651/http://icanhascheezburger.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>"Original Picture, cheezburger, ''ICANHASCHEEZBURGER'', September 26, 2007 [http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/11/i-can-has-cheezburger/ icanhascheezburger.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810192710/http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/11/i-can-has-cheezburger/ |date=August 10, 2007 }}</ref> Lev Grossman of ''Time'' wrote that the oldest known example "probably dates to 2006",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |title=Creating a Cute Cat Frenzy |author=Lev Grossman |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 12, 2007 |access-date=July 16, 2007 |quote=this has also spawned the digg dog which is part of the popular site titled digg.com |archive-date=July 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716080708/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> but later corrected himself in a blog post<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://techland.com/2007/07/16/lolcats_addendum_where_i_got_t/ |title=Lolcats Addendum: Where I Got the Story Wrong |author=Lev Grossman |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date=July 16, 2007 |access-date=February 15, 2010}}</ref> where he recanted his statement based on the anecdotal evidence readers had sent him, placing the origin of "Caturday" and many of the images now known by a few as "lolcats" in early 2005. The domain name "caturday.com" was registered on April 30, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whois.domaintools.com/caturday.com |title=Whois Domain Information For Caturday.com |access-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-date=January 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119150249/http://whois.domaintools.com/caturday.com |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The term ''lolcat'' gained national media attention in the United States when it was covered by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', which wrote that non-commercialized [[phenomena]] of the sort are increasingly rare, stating that lolcats have "a distinctly old-school, early 1990s, [[Usenet]] feel to [them]".<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |first=Lev |last=Grossman |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |title=Cashing in on Cute Cats |author-link=Lev Grossman |date=July 12, 2007 |access-date=July 12, 2007 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=July 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714083604/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |url-status=dead }} Partial scan of the print edition: [http://fcrunk.wellimean.com/memes/catstime.jpg fcrunk.wellimean.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809212902/http://fcrunk.wellimean.com/memes/catstime.jpg |date=August 9, 2008 }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' put them on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Da cutest distractshun of da decaid? Y, lolcats of corse! We can neber haz enuf of deez capshioned pics of cuddlie kittehs."<ref>Geier, Thom, et al. (December 11, 2009). "[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20324138_3,00.html The 100 Greatest Movies, TV shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that entertained us over the past 10 Years] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805011054/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20324138_3,00.html |date=August 5, 2010 }}". ''Entertainment Weekly''. (1079/1080):74-84</ref> "Lolcat" was also a runner-up under the "Most Creative" category under the [[American Dialect Society]] Word of the Year Awards, losing out to
+The term ''lolcat'' gained national media attention in the United States when it was covered by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', which wrote that non-commercialized [[phenomena]] of the sort are increasingly rare, stating that lolcats have "a distinctly old-school, early 1990s, [[Usenet]] feel to [them]".<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |first=Lev |last=Grossman |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |title=Cashing in on Cute Cats |author-link=Lev Grossman |date=July 12, 2007 |access-date=July 12, 2007 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=July 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714083604/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1642897,00.html |url-status=dead }} Partial scan of the print edition: [http://fcrunk.wellimean.com/memes/catstime.jpg fcrunk.wellimean.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809212902/http://fcrunk.wellimean.com/memes/catstime.jpg |date=August 9, 2008 }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' put them on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Da cutest distractshun of da decaid? Y, lolcats of corse! We can neber haz enuf of deez capshioned pics of cuddlie kittehs."<ref>Geier, Thom, et al. (December 11, 2009). "[https://ew.com/article/2009/12/04/100-greatest-movies-tv-shows-and-more/ The 100 Greatest Movies, TV shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that entertained us over the past 10 Years] ". ''Entertainment Weekly''. (1079/1080):74-84</ref> "Lolcat" was also a runner-up under the "Most Creative" category under the [[American Dialect Society]] Word of the Year Awards, losing out to
 "Googlegänger".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americandialect.org/Word-of-the-Year_2007.pdf |title=Americandialect.org |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126023409/http://www.americandialect.org/Word-of-the-Year_2007.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
-In December 2014, the word ''lolcat'' entered the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', appearing in its online version.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-s-new |title=Recent updates to Oxford Dictionaries |access-date=October 28, 2015 |archive-date=November 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109024724/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-s-new |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 == Format ==
+[[File:CatLolCatExample.jpg|thumb|A lolcat image on the icanhascheezburger.com website in 2007<ref>{{cite web |author=tofuburger |title=I ARE SERIOUS CAT « lolcats ‘n’ funny pictures |website=I Can Has Cheezburger? |url=http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/07/19/i-are-serious-cat/ |access-date=6 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018020541/http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/07/19/i-are-serious-cat/ |archive-date=October 18, 2007 |date=18 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
-[[File:Wikicat-keyboard.jpeg|thumb|A lolcat image using the "I'm in ur..." format]]
-Lolcat is a compound word made from "Lol" and "cat". "[[LOL|Lol]]" Stands for "Laugh out Loud" or "Laughing out Loud"; hence, lolcats are intended to be funny and to include jokes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrothing.com/2010/08/1950s-protololcats.html |title=1950's Proto-LOLcats |author=retrothing.com |access-date=March 2, 2011 |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715174926/http://www.retrothing.com/2010/08/1950s-protololcats.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lolcats images comprise a photo of a cat with a large caption characteristically set in a heavy [[sans serif]] font such as [[Impact (typeface)|Impact]] or [[Arial Black]].<ref name="cats has grammar">{{cite web |url=http://www.dashes.com/anil/2007/04/cats-can-has-gr.html |title=Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar |author=Anil Dash |author-link=Anil Dash |date=April 23, 2007 |access-date=May 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826113454/http://dashes.com/anil/2007/04/cats-can-has-gr.html |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The image is, on occasion, [[Image editing|digitally edited]] for effect.
+Lolcat is a compound word made from the acronym "[[LOL]]" and "cat". Lolcat images comprise a photo of a cat with a large caption characteristically superimposed onto the image in a heavy, [[sans-serif]] font such as [[Impact (typeface)|Impact]] or [[Arial Black]].<ref name="cats has grammar">{{cite web |url=http://www.dashes.com/anil/2007/04/cats-can-has-gr.html |title=Anil Dash: Cats Can Has Grammar |author=Anil Dash |author-link=Anil Dash |date=April 23, 2007 |access-date=May 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826113454/http://dashes.com/anil/2007/04/cats-can-has-gr.html |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Such images and [[meme]]s following the format are often [[Image editing|digitally edited]] for comedic effect.
-The caption generally acts as a [[speech balloon]] encompassing a comment from the cat, or as a description of the depicted scene. The caption is [[Sensational spelling|intentionally written with deviations]] from standard English spelling and grammar,<ref name="cats has grammar" /> featuring "{{Sic|hide=y|strangely|-}}conjugated verbs, but a tendency to converge to a new set of rules in spelling and grammar".<ref name="cats has grammar" /><ref name="Newitz 2007">{{cite web |url=http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/04/im_in_yr_x_ying.html |title=I'M IN YR X Y-ING YOUR Z&nbsp;– A Grammar of Lolcats |author=Annalee Newitz |author-link=Annalee Newitz |publisher=Table of Malcontents, a [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] blog |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=April 29, 2007 |quote=These images&nbsp;... usually include a cute cat saying something related to buckets, cheeseburgers, or whatever else with {{Sic |hide=y|strangely|-}}conjugated verbs. |archive-date=April 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430021504/http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/04/im_in_yr_x_ying.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="kitty pidgin">{{cite web |url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004442.html |title=Language Log: Kitty Pidgin and asymmetrical tail-wags |author=Mark Liberman |author-link=Mark Liberman |date=April 25, 2007 |access-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428035037/http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004442.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2011}}
+Captions act as a [[speech balloon]] encompassing a comment from the cat, or as a description of the depicted scene. The caption is [[Sensational spelling|intentionally written with deviations]] from standard English spelling and grammar,<ref name="cats has grammar" /> featuring "{{Sic|hide=y|strangely|-}}conjugated verbs, but a tendency to converge to a new set of rules in spelling and grammar".<ref name="cats has grammar" /><ref name="Newitz 2007">{{cite web |url=http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/04/im_in_yr_x_ying.html |title=I'M IN YR X Y-ING YOUR Z&nbsp;– A Grammar of Lolcats |author=Annalee Newitz |author-link=Annalee Newitz |publisher=Table of Malcontents, a [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] blog |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=April 29, 2007 |quote=These images&nbsp;... usually include a cute cat saying something related to buckets, cheeseburgers, or whatever else with {{Sic |hide=y|strangely|-}}conjugated verbs. |archive-date=April 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430021504/http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/04/im_in_yr_x_ying.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="kitty pidgin">{{cite web |url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004442.html |title=Language Log: Kitty Pidgin and asymmetrical tail-wags |author=Mark Liberman |author-link=Mark Liberman |date=April 25, 2007 |access-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-date=April 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428035037/http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004442.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2011}}
-The text parodies the grammar-poor [[patois]] stereotypically attributed to [[Internet slang]]. Frequently, lolcat captions take the form of [[phrasal template]]s.<ref name="kitty pidgin" /> Some phrases have a known source, usually a well-known [[Internet meme]], such as [[All your base are belong to us]] or [[Do not want]],<ref name="virgin_myths">{{cite web |url=http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-star-wars-myths-and-legends.php?ssid=10 |title=Top ten Star Wars myths and legends: Do not want |work=VirginMedia.com |access-date=December 30, 2008 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216135049/http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-star-wars-myths-and-legends.php?ssid=10 |url-status=live }}</ref> while others don't. The language of lolcats has also been likened to [[baby talk]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-04-24-lolcats-job-search_N.htm |title=Lolcat site needz ur skillz |agency=Associated Press |first=Peter |last=Svensson |date=April 24, 2008 |access-date=October 15, 2008 |archive-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212135431/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-04-24-lolcats-job-search_N.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> however it draws on a variety of linguistic resources, not just the imitation of baby talk.<ref>{{Cite document |url=https://www.academia.edu/2579344 |title=I can haz language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak |last1=Gawne |first1=Lauren |last2=Vaughan |first2=Jill M. |date=January 2012 |access-date=June 30, 2016}}</ref>
+The text parodies the grammar-poor [[patois]] stereotypically attributed to [[Internet slang]]. Frequently, lolcat captions take the form of [[phrasal template]]s.<ref name="kitty pidgin" /> Some phrases have a known source, usually a well-known [[Internet meme]], such as [[All your base are belong to us]] or [[Do not want]],<ref name="virgin_myths">{{cite web |url=http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-star-wars-myths-and-legends.php?ssid=10 |title=Top ten Star Wars myths and legends: Do not want |work=VirginMedia.com |access-date=December 30, 2008 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216135049/http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-star-wars-myths-and-legends.php?ssid=10 |url-status=live }}</ref> while others don't. The language of lolcats has also been likened to [[baby talk]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-04-24-lolcats-job-search_N.htm |title=Lolcat site needz ur skillz |agency=Associated Press |first=Peter |last=Svensson |date=April 24, 2008 |access-date=October 15, 2008 |archive-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212135431/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-04-24-lolcats-job-search_N.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> however it draws on a variety of linguistic resources, not just the imitation of baby talk.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/2579344 |title=I can haz language play: The construction of language and identity in LOLspeak |last1=Gawne |first1=Lauren |last2=Vaughan |first2=Jill M. |date=January 2012 |access-date=June 30, 2016}}</ref>
 Common themes include jokes of the form "Im in ur [noun], [verb]-ing ur [related noun]."<ref name="tampa">{{cite news |title=This be funny storyz |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |author=Jay Cridlin |date=June 1, 2007 |url=http://www.tbt.com/entertainment/news/article41041.ece?lol |access-date=April 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104070709/http://www.tbt.com/entertainment/news/article41041.ece?lol |archive-date=November 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many lolcat images capture cats performing characteristically human actions or appearing to use modern technology, such as computers.{{citation needed|date = April 2012}}
-There are several well-known LOLcat images and single-word captions that have spawned many variations and imitations, including "Ceiling Cat" (see below). Others include [[Fail (Internet meme)|Fail]] (a cat with a slice of [[processed cheese]] on its face)<ref>{{cite web |author=Charles Bremner Toulouse |url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3304328.ece |title=Microtrends: Failure&nbsp;– Times Online |publisher=Technology.timesonline.co.uk |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515211114/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3304328.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> and "[[I Can Has Cheezburger]]" (a portrait of a blue [[British Shorthair]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070713_202390.htm |title=Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks |magazine=[[Business Week]] |author=Tozzi, John |date=July 13, 2007 |access-date=January 10, 2008 |archive-date=February 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215230339/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070713_202390.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another popular format is "[Adjective] cat is [adjective/noun]."
+There are several well-known Lolcat images and single-word captions that have spawned many variations and imitations, including "Ceiling Cat" (see below). Others include [[Fail (Internet meme)|Fail]] (a cat with a slice of [[processed cheese]] on its face)<ref>{{cite web |author=Charles Bremner Toulouse |url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3304328.ece |title=Microtrends: Failure&nbsp;– Times Online |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515211114/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3304328.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> and "[[I Can Has Cheezburger]]" (a portrait of a blue [[British Shorthair]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070713_202390.htm |title=Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks |magazine=[[Business Week]] |author=Tozzi, John |date=July 13, 2007 |access-date=January 10, 2008 |archive-date=February 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215230339/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2007/sb20070713_202390.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another popular format is "[Adjective] cat is [adjective/noun]."
 == Recurring characters ==
+"Ceiling Cat" is a character spawned by the meme. The original image was an [[image macro]] with a picture of a cat looking out of a hole in a ceiling, captioned "Ceiling Cat is watching you [[Masturbation|masturbate]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/24/ceiling-cat-is-watching-you-masturbate/ |title=I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? » Blog Archive » ceiling cat is watching you masturbate. |publisher=icanhascheezburger.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204143319/http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/24/ceiling-cat-is-watching-you-masturbate/ |date=January 24, 2007 |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |access-date=September 13, 2017}}</ref> There followed numerous examples with the format "Ceiling Cat is watching you [''verb'' ending in / rhyming with -ate]" with Ceiling Cat superimposed in the upper left hand corner of an image macro depicting the appropriate action. The underlying theme is that the cat is looking down on one, almost in a form of judgment.
-[[File:Eva and Franco Mattes, Ceiling Cat.jpg|thumb|The sculptural recreation of the "Ceiling Cat" meme by artists Eva & Franco Mattes]]
+"Ceiling Cat" and the corresponding "Basement Cat" (a [[black cat]] who lives in the basement) are said to represent good and evil in the lolcat universe, and in some cases God and Satan, as in the [[LOLCat Bible Translation Project]].<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Amter |title=Lolcat Bible Translation Project presents the Gospel according to Fluffy |date=December 16, 2007 |url=http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-ca-lolcat16dec16,1,6069575.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224021046/http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-ca-lolcat16dec16%2C1%2C6069575.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |archive-date=December 24, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/today/s_568828.html |title=How one hungry 'kitteh' can has the Internet lol |last=Horan |first=Brianna |access-date=June 18, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215050105/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/today/s_568828.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/124063.asp?from=blog_last3 |title=Time killer: The "lolcat" Bible |last=Guzman |first=Monica |date=October 19, 2007 |access-date=June 18, 2008 |archive-date=April 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415165033/http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/124063.asp?from=blog_last3 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+[[File:Eva and Franco Mattes, Ceiling Cat.jpg|thumb|The sculptural recreation of the "Ceiling Cat" meme, created in 2016 by artists Eva & Franco Mattes]]
-"Ceiling Cat" is a character spawned by the meme. The original image was an [[image macro]] with a picture of a cat looking out of a hole in a ceiling, captioned "Ceiling Cat is watching you [[Masturbation|masturbate]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/24/ceiling-cat-is-watching-you-masturbate/ |title=I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? » Blog Archive » ceiling cat is watching you masturbate. |publisher=icanhascheezburger.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204143319/http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/24/ceiling-cat-is-watching-you-masturbate/ |date=January 24, 2007 |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |access-date=September 13, 2017}}</ref> There followed numerous examples with the format "Ceiling Cat is watching you [''verb'' ending in / rhyming with -ate]" with Ceiling Cat superimposed in the upper left hand corner of an image macro depicting the appropriate action. The underlying theme is that the cat is looking down on one, almost in a form of judgment. "Ceiling Cat" and the corresponding "Basement Cat" (a [[black cat]] who lives in the basement) represent good and evil in the lolcat universe, and in some cases God and Satan, as in the [[LOLCat Bible Translation Project]].<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Amter |title=Lolcat Bible Translation Project presents the Gospel according to Fluffy |date=December 16, 2007 |url=http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-ca-lolcat16dec16,1,6069575.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224021046/http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-ca-lolcat16dec16%2C1%2C6069575.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |archive-date=December 24, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/today/s_568828.html |title=How one hungry 'kitteh' can has the Internet lol |last=Horan |first=Brianna |access-date=June 18, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215050105/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/today/s_568828.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/124063.asp?from=blog_last3 |title=Time killer: The "lolcat" Bible |last=Guzman |first=Monica |date=October 19, 2007 |access-date=June 18, 2008 |archive-date=April 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415165033/http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/124063.asp?from=blog_last3 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Ceiling Cat'' by [[Eva & Franco Mattes]], a 2016 taxidermy cat installation mimicking the meme, is in the collection of the [[San Francisco Museum of Modern Art]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/museums-wants-2-show-u-memez-now-they-shud-be-careful/2019/04/05/6a44b5a4-559d-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |title=Museums wants 2 show u memez now. They shud be careful |last=Kennicott |first=Philip |date=April 8, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en |access-date=January 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906191512/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/museums-wants-2-show-u-memez-now-they-shud-be-careful/2019/04/05/6a44b5a4-559d-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+''Ceiling Cat'' by [[Eva & Franco Mattes]], a 2016 taxidermy cat installation mimicking the meme, is in the collection of the [[San Francisco Museum of Modern Art]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/museums-wants-2-show-u-memez-now-they-shud-be-careful/2019/04/05/6a44b5a4-559d-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |title=Museums wants 2 show u memez now. They shud be careful |last=Kennicott |first=Philip |date=April 8, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en |access-date=January 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906191512/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/museums-wants-2-show-u-memez-now-they-shud-be-careful/2019/04/05/6a44b5a4-559d-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
 == Offshoots and parodies ==
@@ Line 54: / Line 55: @@
 * [[Cute cat theory of digital activism]]&nbsp;– using lowbrow but popular online subjects for activism
 * [[Catvertising]]&nbsp;– cats in advertising, especially the parody of commercialization of cat viral videos by ''st. john''
-* [[Doge (meme)]]&nbsp;– an Internet meme featuring a [[shiba inu]], with slang similar in format to lolspeak
-* {{annotated link|DoggoLingo}}
 * [[Grumpy Cat]]&nbsp;– an Internet celebrity cat who was known for her grumpy facial expression
 * [[I Can Has Cheezburger?]]&nbsp;– a weblog featuring lolcats
-* [[O RLY?]]&nbsp;– a related meme featuring image macros, usually of a [[snowy owl]]
-* [[Oolong (rabbit)]]&nbsp;– a bunny trained to balance objects on its head. Famous for balancing pancakes and waffles, it has become a meme similar to lolcats.
 * [[Laugh-Out-Loud Cats]]&nbsp;– a comic inspired by lolspeak and other Internet humor
 * [[LOLCat Bible Translation Project]]&nbsp;– bible translation project to lolspeak
 * [[LOLCODE]]&nbsp;– an [[esoteric programming language]] inspired by lolspeak
-* [[Padonki]]&nbsp;– a Russian Internet subculture, with slang similar in format to lolspeak
 == Notes ==
@@ Line 90: / Line 86: @@
 [[Category:Photography by genre]]
 [[Category:4chan phenomena]]
+[[Category:Fictional cats]]
 [[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2006]]
 [[Category:2006 neologisms]]

v t e Internet slang
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