“Uh duh duh” is the internet’s favorite new diss—but what does it mean?

A new meme slang phrase is confusing TikTok. It all started when TikToker @luv.yves8 went viral for warning parents not to buy certain backpacks because they’d make kids look like an “uh duh duh (or “uh tuh duh”). The term, which he has since used in other videos as a kind of insult, has exploded in popularity despite having no clear definition. Now, the term is topping Google Trends as people scramble to figure out what it actually means—and whether it has anything to do with Teletubbies.

The virality of “uh duh duh”

Why exactly this simple phrase caught on like it did is one of those sociological mysteries that plague brainrot meme culture. Its popularity can be explained in part by the fact that the TikToker who first said it, @luv.yves8, already had a large following on the platform.

Now, he has over 1.2 million followers, and the video that brought us “uh duh duh” or “uh tuh duh” has over 43.9 million views.

@luv.yves8

♬ original sound – luv.yves

This video, posted on July 21, 2025, is about backpacks. Specifically, the TikToker warns parents not to buy their kids certain bags due to potential reputation damage. At least, that’s how many seem to interpret it.

“Bro, with these backpacks, they’re setting kids up for failure,” he said. “Don’t buy your children these, they’re gonna look like an ‘uh duh duh.’”

The backpacks sport 3D geometric shapes, bumps, or spikes, sometimes in bright colors or galaxy prints. It’s unclear why these particular bags spell failure, and the comments aren’t helpful, because everyone’s just asking what that phrase means.

TikTok commenter @roderickwilliams646 asked “what is a uh duh duh,” and most of the replies just argued over whether it’s actually “uh tuh duh.” Some claimed that it’s the pronunciation of the acronym “OODT,” short for “outfit of the day,” but nobody seems to be sure.

This explanation also doesn’t appear to fit with other videos using the phrase. In one, @luv.yves8 breaks it out to describe the way a man is “built.”

@luv.yves8

♬ original sound – luv.yves

“Girl, you’re crying over a man that built like a ‘uh duh duh,’ for real. He look like a ‘uh duh duh’ sis, you gotta let him go.”

What does “uh tuh duh” look like?

As the question remained, Google searches for the term began to spike in July 2025, continuing into August. It’s clear that the phrase is derogatory, but a solid definition remains elusive.

There is one Urban Dictionary definition from July 29, though this source isn’t the most reliable.

“A person who acts or is built weird/odd,” it reads. “Teletubby type beat.”

This does seem consistent with the way the TikToker used it in his viral videos, especially the ones about certain male body types. However, he has yet to confirm or deny the accuracy of this definition or provide his own. The mystery probably helps to fuel traffic to his page, after all.

If you’re unfamiliar with Teletubbies, it was a British children’s television series that aired from 1997 to 2001. If the Urban Dictionary entry holds true, “uh duh duh” or “uh tuh duh” looks like a rather odd and pretty round individual who likes to waddle and prance around under a baby-face sun.

Most adults in today’s world would not consider the comparison to be flattering.

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