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Internet Slang

“OOC” Meaning | Do You Know What the Term “OOC” Stands for?

What does “ooc” mean? Online chatting and texting sometimes require that someone relate a message or thought quickly. To expedite the texting and chatting process, acronyms were developed to stand for particular phrases. One of the acronyms to sprout up on the internet for this purpose was “ooc.” Here in this article, you will be able to find the meaning of this acronym and other meanings if any are available. You can also find some information regarding its origin and see the acronym used properly in hypothetical online/text situations. Lastly, you can check out the suggestions offered to learn some other ways to say the phrase associated with this acronym that still states the same message.

“OOC” Meaning

What Does “OOC” Mean?

In internet slang, the acronym “ooc” means out of control, character, or context.

Origin of “OOC”

The acronym “ooc” most likely originated with the rise in popularity of online role-playing games and fanfiction websites. Although not specifically stated, the acronym “ooc” is popularly used in these games and sites to indicate that someone has stepped out of character. In other words, they are acting like themselves and not as the character they are supposed to be portraying. It is uncertain if this term existed before the invention of the internet and these types of sites. The opposite of “ooc” is “bic.” This is typically used in instances where someone must step away from the keyboard for a moment for one reason or another. Before leaving the keyboard they would type something like ((OOC – going to the bathroom)) to let the other in the game know they would be stepping away in real life. When they return to their keyboard they would type simply BIC.

Other Meanings

The acronym “ooc” does not appear to have any other meanings in the world of internet slang. However, “ooc” is the acronym for a few other phrases such as “out of curiosity,” “out of course,” “out of coffee.” “out of clan,” or “out of code.”

Example Conversations

An online chat exchange during gameplay on Twitch

  • Player 1: ((OOC – be back in an hour, my mom is calling me for dinner.))
  • Player 2: ((OOC – Dang, me too! See you all soon.))
  • Player 3: We shall have to see if we can scare up some extra troops to slay the dragon.
  • Player 4: I am available good sir. Knight Ormund at your service. *bows*

A text exchange between two friends.

  • Friend 1: I have no idea what was up with Tiffany today!
  • Friend 2: I know! She was very rude to me at lunch and that is not like her at all.
  • Friend 1: Exactly! She treated me the same during gym. It is totally ooc for her.
  • Friend 2: I hope everything is okay. I will try and call her tonight to see if she wants to talk.

Alternatives to “OOC”

The best alternatives to the widely used acronyms are to type what you mean out, such as:

  • out of context
  • out of character
  • out of control

“OOC” Meaning Infographic

OOC Meaning: What Does the Popular Acronym "OOC" Mean?Pin

B1 Knowledge Check · 5 questions

“OOC” Meaning | Do You Know What the Term “OOC” Stands for? — Practice Quiz

1 / 5
Q1

Question 1: What does the acronym "OOC" most commonly mean in internet slang?

Question 1 options
According to the article, "OOC" stands for "out of control, character, or context" in internet slang, with "out of character" being the most popular usage in online role-playing and fanfiction communities.
Q2

Question 2: The opposite of "OOC" is "BIC," which stands for "back in character."

Question 2 options
The article states that the opposite of "OOC" is "BIC." Players type BIC when they return to their keyboard after stepping away, indicating they are back in character.
Q3

Question 3: Which sentence uses "OOC" correctly based on its most common internet slang meaning?

Question 3 options
"OOC" is most commonly used to indicate someone is acting out of character. The sentence about Tiffany acting unlike herself uses "OOC" correctly, mirroring the example in the article where a friend says "It is totally ooc for her" about unexpected rude behavior.
Q4

Question 4: Match each internet acronym or term to its meaning.

Question 4 options
OOC
BIC
STFU
AFK
Shut up (vulgar)
Back in character
Out of character
Away from keyboard

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

OOC means "out of character," BIC means "back in character" (the opposite of OOC), STFU means "shut the f*** up" (mentioned as a related slang term), and AFK means "away from keyboard," which is related to the concept of stepping away discussed in the article.
Q5

Question 5: According to common usage, which phrase is closest in meaning to "OOC" when used about a person's behavior?

Question 5 options
"Acting unlike themselves" is the closest synonym for "OOC" (out of character). The article explains that OOC means someone is "acting like themselves and not as the character they are supposed to be portraying," and in everyday conversation it describes behavior that is unusual or unexpected for that person.

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