Smol

If you happen to come across something that is utterly adorable, minuscule and fluffy in nature, then the perfect term to describe it would be Smol.

The word itself should be pronounced as if a precious little creature were attempting to say “Small”, or perhaps even with an endearing baby-like tone.

Typically reserved for pint-sized dogs, cats, birds and other animals who are tinier than their counterparts; this slang has become quite popular among pet enthusiasts.

On the flip side of things lies its antonym – “Lorge”- which carries a similar pronunciation but denotes largeness. Another comparable expression used frequently when referring to our furry feline friends and canine companions is none other than Chonky.

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The precise origins of this linguistic phenomenon remain a mystery, but it first surfaced on the World Wide Web in late spring 2015 as part and parcel of animal-themed memes.

This vernacular swiftly caught fire among netizens, particularly after Tyler Josephs – frontman for alternative rockers Twenty One Pilots – proclaimed himself to be “A Bean”, prompting legions of fans to chime in with cries of “A Smol Bean”.

To this day, the term is frequently employed alongside its trusty companion word: “Bean”.

Apart from infantile chatter and endearing pet names, colloquial language has permeated social media platforms extensively.

The lexicon is so ubiquitous that it’s spawned countless memes featuring diminutive critters. But the term also enjoys a prominent presence in various forms of art, videos, tweets and Tumblr posts.

Even celebrity pets who run their own fan pages employ this slang to refer to themselves as if they were human owners interacting with adoring fans.

• Dictionary.com – What Does smol Mean?
• iFunny – Smol Memes