# Why "heh" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796 "2004-05-12T15:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/1 "2004-05-12T15:08:57Z")
I noticed some \*\*“heh”\*\*s in posts. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s a way of saying you’re amused, right? Is it an abbreviation? If so, why isn’t it on the abbreviation list? If not, if it is merely a short way of saying: “Hahahaha”, it’s kinda silly, imho. Though I agree it’s must better as the pesky “LOL”, who says “heh” when you laugh? heh? ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/2 "2004-05-12T15:19:39Z")
“Heh” represents the soft chuckle many folks (myself included) use when we find something mildly amusing. It’s milder than a LOL or a “Hahaha”. I don’t quite know why you’d find it any sillier than a “Hahaha”, which is also only an approximation of the sound of laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/3 "2004-05-12T15:20:40Z")
It’s hard to convey true laughter in text. I personally feel silly typing “ha ha ha” because I feel like I am evil-laughing. “heh” conveys mild amusement. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/4 "2004-05-12T15:27:35Z")
I strongly dislike LOL. If certain people are actually laughing out loud every time they type that, they must do nothing but giggle, whoop, and holler like a mental patient all day, and its overuse has made it irritating as hell. I have never liked LMAO. ROTFLMAO? I lose IQ points just reading it. But I like “heh” as a way to indicate wry amusement. If someone says “LOL” to one of my jokes, I just think, “Oh, shut up.” But if I score a “heh,” I figure I done good. I actually do say “heh” when I laugh at something witty. Usually “heh-heh,” now that I think about it carefully, but same basic idea. It’s usually in response to some sort of understated humor that would be ruined by a long laugh. Something intellectual rather than visceral. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/5 "2004-05-12T15:34:33Z")
All too often I say “heh” to pretend I thought something amusing. I can very rarely trully laugh at a joke, even if it is a good one, so I force a few "heh"s out for politeness. I only really laugh properly at unexpected funnies, usually on TV. If I hear “want to hear a joke” I know I am not going to laugh right there and then. This is why smilieas are good because the 😃 smiley works so well as an indicator of genuine amusement (because when we are really laughing we have a grin and closed eyes) ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/6 "2004-05-12T15:45:06Z")
> [@mrklutz](#): > > “Heh” represents the soft chuckle many folks (myself included) use when we find something mildly amusing. It can be a little bit evil too, depending on context. I like it. Heh, heh, heh. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/7 "2004-05-12T15:59:59Z")
The one that annoys me is “hehehe.” I know the origin of this because a friend of mine showed me her chat program, in which typing “hehehe” plays a laughter clip on the receiver’s machine. OK, fine, there’s a place for IM-speak and all. But if you’re trying to convey laughter in type, the spelling is “hee hee hee.” Or even “heeheehee” or “hee-hee-hee.” Harrumph. ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/8 "2004-05-12T16:27:36Z")
> [@](#): > > **js\_africanus** _said:_ > > It can be a little bit evil too, depending on context. I like it. Heh, heh, heh. EXACTLY! when I use “heh” it is almost always in twos or threes… think Christopher as _“The Highlander”_ At least that is the way it is for me. I also occassionally uses “hee hee” or “tee hee” but these usually designate fake laughter as I am not much of a giggler or titterer in real life… but what Beast is? It is either a chuckle or an outright belly laugh if it is real. ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/9 "2004-05-12T16:28:40Z")
‘course I meant Christopher _LAMBERT_ I was on a riff and thinkin’ faster’n I was typin’. so sorry ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/10 "2004-05-12T16:32:23Z")
> [@verbenabeast](#): > > EXACTLY! when I use “heh” it is almost always in twos or threes… think Christopher as _“The Highlander”_ Heh, I thought of him too! (but as ‘Raiden’ in Mortal Kombat) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/11 "2004-05-12T16:32:35Z")
I’m a big fan of the “heh.” It’s multi-purpose! 1. Mild amusement. 2. Coupled with another “heh”, it has a devilish tone. 3. I frequently use it as the Beavis and Butthead-esque snicker when someone says a dirty word or something juvenile. Example: Two men walking abreast. “Heh. He said breast. Heh.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/12 "2004-05-12T16:57:41Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > OK, fine, there’s a place for IM-speak and all. But if you’re trying to convey laughter in type, the spelling is “hee hee hee.” Or even “heeheehee” or “hee-hee-hee.” No it’s not. Hehehe and heeheehee are completely different laughs, just as they’re separate from hahaha. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/13 "2004-05-12T20:04:50Z")
I’m trying to type my - mildly amused - laugh now: ‘huhuhuh’ It certainly isn’t: ‘heh’. I can’t laugh that short. Maybe ‘hehehehe’… I have to agree, **Tengu** , Hehehe, hahaha, heeheehee and even huhuhuh are different. Can’t we think of something else to type? I’m not too fond of the smilies either. Though the “:D”, **Lobsang** , covers some laughs sufficiently. [trying: ‘gggggg’] ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/14 "2004-05-12T22:55:05Z")
It’s clearly onomatopoetic. Do they not “heh” in Amsterdam? ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/15 "2004-05-12T23:10:55Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > The one that annoys me is “hehehe.” I know the origin of this because a friend of mine showed me her chat program, in which typing “hehehe” plays a laughter clip on the receiver’s machine. I don’t think that is the origin, maybe an origin, but not the first usage. We used hehehe or hahahha or hohoho or any sloppy combination thereof - hehehehahha to denote laughter in my BBS days. There was LOL and all those combinations ROFLMGDAO etc., but the onomatopoetic forms were used as often. I prefer heh, since it’s short and not something I see as overused as LOL. I quit using the 😃 as often, when a few people voiced complaints about it. Not toward me, just in general saying they felt a person using that particular emoticon felt they were typing something clever, rather than expressing amusement. With heh, I figure there is less room for confusion. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/16 "2004-05-13T00:29:26Z")
> [@gum](#): > > …Though the “:D”, **Lobsang** , covers some laughs sufficiently… Hmm. I actually like the “:D” with the quotation marks - looks like the smiley is shaking with laughter. > [@](#): > > …[trying: ‘gggggg’] ggggggggggggggg Sounds/feels like I’m choking on a cracker. I’ll stick with ‘heh’. ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/17 "2004-05-13T04:31:56Z")
Another ditto. I use “heh” to indicate amusement. It makes me think of a chuckle. I also use smilies: 🙂😃😛 “hahaha” or “HAHAHA” would indicate loud, hearty laughter. I _might_ use that, but it’s very rare for something on the net cracks me up that much. “heehee” makes me think of a little girl giggling. In a chat room, I might use “hehehe” if other people are using it. Just to fit in with local convention. But I draw the line at “LOL”, “ROFL”, “LMAO.” Longer acronyms are even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/18 "2004-05-13T04:40:20Z")
Oh- and eheheheheh is something else entirely. And let’s not get into Mwahahahaaaa/Bwahahahaaaa! ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/19 "2004-05-13T06:24:52Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I’m a big fan of the “heh.” It’s multi-purpose! > > 1. Mild amusement. > > 2. Coupled with another “heh”, it has a devilish tone. > > 3. I frequently use it as the Beavis and Butthead-esque snicker when someone says a dirty word or something juvenile. > > Example: Two men walking abreast. “Heh. He said breast. Heh.” Absolutely, positively, ditto! I think the Beavis & Butthead laugh is “heh heh”, though. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796/20 "2004-05-13T07:17:55Z")
**pizzabrat** > [@](#): > > \*It’s clearly onomatopoetic. Do they not “heh” in Amsterdam? - hmm. ‘Heh’ is too short. Who laughs like that? Or even chuckles like that? ‘Heh’ is good when you just fished a bike out of a canal and need to hurry before some thief is stealing it again. Like: “Heh. Got me a bike” When, however, you see a bicycle thief racing _into_ a canal, you’d say: “hehehehehe”. **screech-owl** When you speak Dutch, “gggggggg” isn’t a problem. heh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-heh/244796.md?page=2)