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submitted 2 months ago by xkcdbot@lemmy.world to c/xkcd@lemmy.world

xkcd #3184: Funny Numbers

Title text:

In 1899, people were walking around shouting '23' at each other and laughing, and confused reporters were writing articles trying to figure out what it meant.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3184/

explainxkcd for #3184

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[-] hOrni@lemmy.world 108 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

For millennials, like me: 1337 means "LEET" which is short for "Elite".

[-] Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip 192 points 2 months ago

Sorry, what? I'm a millennial, this is common knowledge for anyone who played a videogame in the last quarter century.

[-] hoppolito@mander.xyz 96 points 2 months ago

I was going to say, I think the perpetuation of leetspeak and most of its use falls squarely into the millennial generation's early 90s into the early 2000s.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 79 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

What the h311 is wrong with you? Us millennials invented 1337!

[-] davidagain@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago
[-] ByteJunk@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago

Yep I think pops here has this one, us Millennials grew up with leet speak, it already was a thing in the 80s.

[-] davidagain@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

That's the first time anyone called me pops! NOW I feel old!

[-] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Sorry to hear that, gramps!

(Am also Gen X. Sigh...)

[-] veroxii@aussie.zone 8 points 2 months ago

Yeah it was common on BBSes late 80s at least. Also am gen X.

[-] chunes@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

People get confused because leet speak had a resurgence around 1997 or so.

[-] AndyMFK@lemmy.dbzer0.com 66 points 2 months ago

I'm confused as to where you fit in the Millennial demographic for you to have not known this already

[-] hOrni@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

It seems, I'm on the older side.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

if you're in your 40s and don't know this i'm worried.

[-] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

It's been around since the 1980s. If you didn't know it it's not because you're a millennial, it's because you weren't part of the right subcultures when you were young / teen / 20s.

[-] affenlehrer@feddit.org 49 points 2 months ago
[-] qbus@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago

Hack the planet

[-] tensorpudding@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago

Millenials pwnd the n00bs with the best of the genX back in the day, but I think leetspeak was a lot more niche than say 67 is, it was very gamercoded/nerdcoded when that wasn't cool.

Source: am millenial who had a leetspeak AIM handle back then

[-] davepleasebehave@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

back when the internet was not cool

[-] wavebeam@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

The internet used to be a place

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

oh they had designers then

[-] gangdinesout@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Yeah, I had my Facebook set to leetspeak back in the day when it was restricted to college students. Of course, Zuckerborg was still a POS and I got rid of my Facebook ages ago

[-] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 25 points 2 months ago

Ragebait. Millenials are like 40 and have back pain.

[-] squirrel@piefed.kobel.fyi 74 points 2 months ago
[-] Sabata11792@ani.social 10 points 2 months ago

D0/\/'7 m4k3 f|_|/\/ 0f /\/\y 84(k

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 14 points 2 months ago

I know it just means you aren’t familiar with it but it’s funny you picked the millennial one as the one you had to explain to millennials.

[-] MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago

Also for geeky Gen X

[-] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago
this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2025
1061 points (100.0% liked)

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