Meaning
What does IMAO mean?
IMAO refers to a popular internet acronym, representing the phrase “In My Arrogant Opinion”.
It is often used as a way of tricking people into reading it as LMAO, a much more widespread internet acronym.
Origin
What's the origin of IMAO?
The expression first emerged in 1989, in an online discussion about The Grateful Dead.
In the following years, it would spread and appear on forums, message boards and sites like Usenet.
It would become an established abbreviation by the end of the 1990’s.
Spread & Usage
How did IMAO spread?
“IMAO” was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2003, with several other entries having been uploaded to the site.
The acronym would spread farther online, as more people got access to the web, through social media.