# L33tn3ss

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 15, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061 "2001-04-15T15:01:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mousseduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@Mousseduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mousseduck)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061/1 "2001-04-15T15:01:44Z")

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What is it? Leetness?  
And what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061/2 "2001-04-15T15:31:28Z")

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Slang for “eliteness”, often used by idiots who think they’re hackers but actually are afraid to touch the windows 95 control panels for fear that they’ll break something. See [somethingawful.efront.com/jeffk](http://somethingawful.efront.com/jeffk) for and example of the latter.

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**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061/3 "2001-04-15T15:33:23Z")

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I screwed up that link - try this [http://www.somethingawful.com/jeffk](http://www.somethingawful.com/jeffk).

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**Author:** ![Mousseduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@Mousseduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mousseduck)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061/4 "2001-04-15T15:49:52Z")

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So, basically it is something used by people who want to think they’re great, but are really nothing special.  
Thanks for replying so quickly.

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**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l33tn3ss/62061/5 "2001-04-15T17:52:49Z")

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What’s worse:  
Kids at my school are new to what they call the “cool” part of the internet: message boards and online gaming.  
So they see the word 1337 (leet) a lot. The funny part is they didn’t know what it was. One day, I heard one of them call me one thirty-three seven. I kinda looked at him funny, but then I realized what he was talking about. Boy, I had a good laugh at everyone’s expense.  
That sure was one of those moments that made me realize how much better I am than all of them.