ASL
In early internet chat, ASL asks for a person's age, sex, and general location.
By Cal Hewitt, Founder at Web Leveling · Researched from public sources ·
What it actually means
ASL is a compact opener from anonymous chat-room culture. It asks for three identity details that profiles did not automatically show. It can be a neutral icebreaker, but it also has dating and safety implications because it solicits personal information from a stranger. In current Gen Z usage, ASL more often means "as hell," so context matters.
See the quick definition in the ASL dictionary entry.
Where it came from
ASL developed as chat-room shorthand, not as a term with a documented single inventor. It was widely used in instant messaging and chat rooms by the early 2000s, when anonymous users commonly exchanged these basic details at the start of a conversation.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
Early English-language chat rooms and instant-messaging spaces, including teen chat rooms. Pew's 2001 teen-internet report identified ASL as the most common question teens said they were asked when entering chat rooms.
It spread internationally with English-language internet slang, but this does not establish a single country of origin.
How it caught on
- 1990sASL circulates in early online chat as a short way to ask for age, sex, and location; no single first use or inventor is documented.
- 2001Pew's Teenage Life Online report identifies ASL as the most common question teen respondents said they were asked when entering chat rooms.
- 2004Research on online teen chat and dating chat rooms documents age, sex, and location as recurring identity markers in chat interactions.
- 2020sThe older chat-room meaning remains recognizable, while lowercase asl also circulates with the unrelated meaning "as hell."
How to use it
“Someone DM'd me "asl?" and I did not answer.”
Reacting to an old-school chat-room style question from a stranger.
“On old message boards, people would open with A/S/L before they even said hello.”
Explaining the historical usage.
“Do not confuse this ASL with "as hell" in "that concert was loud asl."”
Separating the two unrelated meanings.
Common mix-ups
ASL in this sense does not mean American Sign Language, and it is not the same as the newer lowercase slang asl meaning "as hell." It also should not be treated as a harmless default opener with minors or strangers, because it requests personal details.
Do you actually know it?
Do you know old-school ASL?
0/31. What does ASL mean in old chat-room slang?
2. Why did ASL catch on in chat rooms?
3. Which current meaning can be confused with chat-room ASL?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does ASL stand for?
In early internet-chat slang, it stands for age, sex, location. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age/sex/location
What did ASL mean in AOL chat rooms?
It was a quick question asking a chat partner's age, sex, and general location, often used as an opening line. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2001/06/20/teenage-life-online/
Does ASL always mean age, sex, location?
No. In other contexts ASL can mean American Sign Language, and lowercase asl can mean "as hell" in current internet slang. Context decides the meaning.
Is it okay to ask ASL online?
The phrase is historically common, but people should not feel required to share age, sex, or location with strangers. Use ordinary online-safety judgment, especially with minors.
A 2001 Pew report found that teen internet users named ASL as the most common question asked when they entered chat rooms.