The Viral Mystery Of "What That Tongue Do Meme": Origin, Meaning, And 5 Ways It Took Over The Internet

The "What That Tongue Do Meme" is one of the internet’s most recognizable, yet often misunderstood, pieces of viral slang. As of late 2025, the phrase remains a staple in online conversations, serving as a quick, humorous, and sometimes explicit double-entendre that sparks instant curiosity. Its popularity stems from its ambiguous nature, allowing it to be used in contexts ranging from innocent jokes about eating to overtly sexually suggestive comments.

The meme’s true power lies in its simplicity and directness, cutting through complex setups to deliver a punchline that is universally understood in the digital age. While it may seem like a simple phrase, its evolution from a general social media trend to a versatile reaction image has cemented its status as a key piece of modern internet culture, constantly finding new life in fresh content and trending topics.

The Explicit Origin Story: From TikTok Pose to Viral Slang

The phrase "What That Tongue Do" did not originate from a single viral video or celebrity gaffe, but rather emerged organically from a broader, sexually suggestive internet lexicon. Its most significant push into the mainstream meme culture is closely tied to a popular late 2023 phenomenon: the Sticking Out Your Tongue For The Picture trend.

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The TikTok Trend That Started It All

The initial spark came from a TikTok trend where users would pose for photos or videos sticking their tongue out in a playful or seductive manner. This simple gesture, often used in a flirtatious context, quickly became a signal for a certain type of online persona. The phrase "What That Tongue Do?" evolved as the rhetorical question posed by viewers to the person in the video or image.

• Core Meaning: At its heart, the phrase is a direct and often humorous way of asking if someone is skilled at or enjoys performing Oral Sex.
• The Double Entendre: Its success as a meme comes from the fact that it can be used ironically or literally. It allows for a playful, suggestive joke without being overly vulgar, making it perfect for platforms like Reddit and Memedroid.
• Related Slang: A closely related and often interchangeable phrase is "What That Mouth Do," which carries the exact same sexually suggestive connotation.

This organic growth, where the phrase served as the commentary on a visual trend, allowed it to detach from the original videos and become a standalone, portable piece of Viral Internet Slang.

The Anatomy of a Modern "What That Tongue Do" Meme

Today, the meme is less about the original TikTok pose and more about the caption or punchline applied to a reaction image. It thrives on Contextual Irony, where the question is posed to a character or object that clearly has no capacity for the suggested activity, or where the "answer" is hilariously mundane.

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1. The Reaction Image Template

The most common form involves a two-panel or multi-panel Reaction Image Meme. A setup, often featuring a flirtatious character or an overly expressive person, is followed by the caption "What That Tongue Do?", and the final panel reveals the often-disappointing or absurd reality.

• Example Template Use: The phrase is frequently mapped onto classic formats like the Drake Meme Template or the "And Then I Go and Spoil It All By Saying Something Stupid Like..." meme, where the final panel is captioned with the phrase to ruin a serious moment.
• Meme Generators: The popularity of the phrase is evidenced by its dedicated template on the Imgflip Meme Generator, allowing users to quickly create their own variations.

2. Ironic Use in Pop Culture and Gaming

For Topical Authority and freshness, the meme’s use in niche communities is key. The phrase is frequently applied to characters in popular media, often with a humorous, almost simping, undertone. This shows the phrase is not just a sexual joke, but a versatile tool for Online Humor.

• The Amazing Digital Circus (TADC): A prominent recent example involves the popular 2024 animated series, where fans humorously apply the phrase to characters like Pomni or the eccentric ringmaster, Caine, acknowledging the absurdity of the question in a cartoon context.
• Gaming Communities: It also appears in gaming subreddits, such as one instance where the phrase was ironically applied to a creature in the Destiny (Video Game) universe, demonstrating how the meme can transform a serious object into a source of lighthearted, suggestive banter.

The Cultural Impact: Why This Slang Endures in 2025

The longevity of "What That Tongue Do Meme" as an Internet Phenomenon is a testament to the power of Gen Z Humor and the internet's ability to normalize suggestive language through irony. Unlike a simple catchphrase, it’s a question that forces a reaction, whether it’s a nervous laugh, a witty retort, or a new meme creation.

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The Rise of Suggestive LSI Keywords

The meme’s success has reinforced a whole ecosystem of LSI Keywords and related terms that are used in Digital Culture to hint at sexual topics without being overly explicit. This allows content creators to engage with suggestive themes while maintaining a layer of plausible deniability through humor. The meme acts as a bridge between overt sexual content and general, mainstream comedy.

Three Ways the Meme is Used Today:

1. The Literal Flirt: Used directly in DMs or comments to flirt with someone who has posted a picture with their tongue out.
2. The Absurd Punchline: Applied to non-human objects (like AI, animals, or cartoon characters) to generate a laugh from the sheer absurdity of the question. This is the most popular form of the meme on platforms like Reddit Memes.
3. The Self-Deprecating Joke: Used when someone says something awkward or inappropriate, framing the phrase as the stupid thing they said that ruined the moment.

In conclusion, the "What That Tongue Do Meme" is far more than just a passing piece of internet slang. It is a complex, versatile, and enduring piece of Digital Culture that perfectly encapsulates the internet’s ability to turn a simple, suggestive question into a multi-layered joke. Its continuous adaptation across platforms, from TikTok Trend to a caption on a Know Your Meme template, ensures its relevance and popularity will continue well into 2025 and beyond.