Learn the template
Identify who or what each part represents before replacing the labels with your own scenario.
Templates, reactions & context
Memes
Understand familiar meme formats, what their reactions imply and how the joke is normally structured.
A meme is more than an image: it is a repeatable idea with roles, expectations and a tone that audiences recognize. This directory breaks down the setup and payoff of enduring formats without assuming that everyone already knows the reference.
Browse the dictionary
Every meme
01rickroll
Rickroll
A bait-and-switch link that leads to Rick Astley's “Never Gonna Give You Up” instead of what was promised.
02dogeDoge
A Shiba Inu photographed mid side-eye, captioned with broken two-word phrases in coloured Comic Sans.
03drake formatDrake Hotline Bling
A two-panel format where the top panel rejects an option and the bottom panel approves another.
04expanding brainExpanding Brain
A stack of panels showing a brain glowing brighter, used ironically as the takes get worse.
05two buttonsTwo Buttons
A sweating man agonising over two buttons, where the dilemma is usually not a dilemma at all.
06is this a pigeon?Is This a Pigeon?
An anime character gesturing at a butterfly and confidently misidentifying it.
07mOcKiNg SpOnGeBoBMocking SpongeBob
AlTeRnAtInG cApS used to repeat someone's words back at them in a mocking voice.
08hide the painHide the Pain Harold
A stock photo model whose smile does not reach his eyes, used for concealed discomfort.
09gru's planGru's Plan
A four-panel presentation where the last two panels reveal the plan's fatal flaw.
10one does not simplyOne Does Not Simply
Boromir warning that a task is far harder than the person suggesting it believes.
11always has beenAlways Has Been
Two astronauts, one realising an uncomfortable truth and the other confirming it was never otherwise.
12swole doge vs cheemsSwole Doge vs Cheems
A muscular Shiba beside a small sad one, comparing a confident past with a diminished present.
13trollfaceTrollface
A crude grinning face that marks the poster as deliberately winding you up.
14roll safeRoll Safe
A man tapping his temple beside advice that only works if you ignore the obvious problem.
15AUGHHHHAUGHHHH / AHHHH Sound Effect
The explosive snore-like audio used to interrupt videos with a deliberately ridiculous burst of noise.
16absolute cinemaAbsolute Cinema
A reaction used to praise something as dramatically, hilariously or unexpectedly cinematic.
17this is fineThis Is Fine
A reaction to staying outwardly calm while a situation is obviously falling apart.
18distracted boyfriendDistracted Boyfriend
A three-part comparison for abandoning one thing when a more tempting option appears.
19surprised PikachuSurprised Pikachu
Mock surprise after an entirely predictable consequence.
20woman yelling at a catWoman Yelling at a Cat
A split-image argument between an emotional accusation and a confused, unimpressed response.
How to read this collection
Context is part of the definition
A successful meme keeps the recognizable relationship between its parts while changing the labels or situation. If the audience has to decode every element, the reaction loses its speed.
Keep the setup short
Meme text works best when viewers can understand the contrast before the joke loses momentum.
Read the room
A light reaction format can trivialize grief, safety issues or other situations that need direct language.
Common questions
About memes
What makes something a meme rather than just a joke?
Repeatability. A meme has a structure other people can refill with their own situation while the relationship between the parts stays recognisable. A joke lands once; a meme becomes a format that keeps producing new jokes without being re-explained.
Do I need to know where a meme came from to use it?
Not in detail, but knowing the setup stops you using a format for the opposite of what it means. Several long-running formats carry an implied judgment about which side of the image is right, and getting that backwards is the most common way a meme post falls flat.
Why do memes stop being funny?
Saturation and drift. Once a format is everywhere, the recognition that made it quick stops being a reward, and the meaning also loosens as more people bend it to fit situations it was not built for. That is normal: formats retire and the underlying joke reappears in a new shape.