SYLA

What Does SYLA Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

SYLA means "See You Later Alligator."

More Observations...

The saying "See You Later, Alligator" was the title of a rock-'n'-roll song which was a smash hit for Bill Haley and His Comets in 1955. The phrase may have already been in use in parts of the southern USA prior to the release of the song. The saying "See You Later, Alligator" and the abbreviation SYLA are light-hearted ways of saying "Goodbye". Their use is really only appropriate between friends. As with the abbreviation, SYL (See You Later), SYLA can be taken literally to mean that you will be meeting that person face-to-face sometime soon. However, it is just as often used to indicate that someone will be in touch again, either by telephone, email or text message. Sometimes the abbreviation SYLA is used at the end of a conversation, whether or not the sender expects to meet with or even contact the recipient again in the near future. In speech, the standard reply to "See You Later Alligator" is the song's next line: "After a While, Crocodile." Of note, "See You Later Alligator" is more commonly abbreviated as CULA.

Image for SYLA

When I write SYLA, I mean this:

SYLA is a fun way of saying "Goodbye for now."

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

SYLA
Definition:	See You Later Alligator
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of SYLA in Sentences

Here are examples of SYLA in conversations:

• Marion: Will you be back by 7.30 pm?
• Kyle: Sure. At the very latest.
• Marion: Great! SYLA!

• Connie: I'm going now.
• Ed: OK. SYLA.
• Connie: After a while, crocodile!

An Academic Look at SYLA

SYLA is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Ess Why Ell Ay"). However, it is not usually spoken using its letters. The abbreviation SYLA is for efficiency in writing, rather than efficiency in speech.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we would have just said "See You Later Alligator" instead of uisng the abbreviation SYLA.

Example of SYLA Used in a Text

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