Put the Fries in the Bag: TikTok Slang Explained

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Everything you need to know about this viral TikTok meme

Co-authored by Annabelle Reyes Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: December 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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“Put the Fries in the Bag” Meaning & Origin

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Usage

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How to Respond

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Is it mean to say “put the fries in the bag?”

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Related Memes & Phrases

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Video

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you may have come across the phrase “just put the fries in the bag, bro” in the comments section. But what exactly does this phrase mean, and what’s the right way to use it? If you’re interested in the answers to these questions, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll go over the meaning and origins of “put the fries in the bag,” explain how it’s used, and provide some advice for how to respond if someone says it to you. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

What does “just put the fries in the bag, bro” mean?

This phrase is an insult used to belittle someone and imply they are inferior to you. It comes from a made-up scenario in which someone visits a fast food restaurant and sees an old high school acquaintance working there. When the employee tries to reminisce and connect, the customer says, “Just put the fries in the bag, bro.”

Section 1 of 5:

“Put the Fries in the Bag” Meaning & Origin

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The phrase is an insult that implies you’re better than someone else. People usually say "just put the fries in the bag, bro" to put someone down and insinuate that they have no career prospects beyond being a fast food worker. It originated from a meme posted on Facebook in 2022 depicting a fictional exchange between an employee and customer at a fast food restaurant. The employee says, “I ain’t seen you since high school,” and the customer replies, “Just put my ketchup in the bag bro."^{[1]
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- In this context, the phrase is a pretty harsh insult, since it dismisses the employee as unimportant and implies that they’re inferior to the customer.
- It’s essentially a way to say that you think someone is a loser, so it’s a pretty low blow.
- As the phrase grew in popularity, the word “ketchup” was swapped out for “fries.”^{[2]
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Some users began to post skits based on the original meme, while others riffed off the concept. For example, user @coopermitcchell posted a video in which he acts like a talented basketball player getting recruited by top schools, but he’s actually an NBA2K player. The other character in the skit ends the interaction by saying “just put my fries in the bag, bro,” as a way to put the original character down and imply he has no prospects beyond an eventual fast food career.

Section 2 of 5:

How to Use the Phrase "Put the Fries in the Bag"

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To put others down for lack of success or career prospects If someone shares a business idea or career plan that seems unlikely or far-fetched, another person may reply, “just put the fries in the bag, bro,” to imply that this path will end with them working at a fast food restaurant.^{[3]
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Research source} For example:
- “The TikTok I posted last week went hugely viral, so I think I’m going to drop out of my master’s program to become a full-time content creator.”
- “What? How are you going to support yourself with that? Just put the fries in the bag, bro.”
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As a belittling spam comment on TikTok Users comment “just put the fries in the bag, bro” on TikTok videos to belittle or shame the original poster. This often occurs when users feel like the poster is speaking on something they’re not qualified to talk about, sharing a business idea that makes no sense, or simply saying something the commenter doesn’t agree with.
- For example, if someone posted a TikTok about how they’re starting a mental health counseling service even though they have no official training, someone might comment, “Just put the fries in the bag, bro.”
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To remind someone to stay on topic In the context of the original Facebook meme, the customer uses the phrase to convey that they aren’t interested in reminiscing with their old high school classmate at the fast food restaurant—they just want to get their food and go home. As a result, “just put the fries in the bag” can also be a way to tell someone to stop going off on tangents and get to the point, so both parties can move on.^{[4]
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- For example, if you’re asking a friend for help with a math problem at school, but they keep getting distracted and rambling about how their weekend went, you might say, “just put the fries in the bag, bro,” to bring them back to the topic at hand.^{[5]
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Responding to “Just Put the Fries in the Bag”

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If someone says this phrase to you, it can be pretty hurtful. Maybe you were sharing an idea about your future, and a friend said “put the fries in the bag” to dismiss your plan as silly or stupid. Even if they were joking, this insult can be very upsetting, and you’re well within your rights to let them know that you’re offended.^{[6]
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Research source} Focus on your feelings and use “I” statements to explain how their comment impacted you. Here are some examples:
- “I was trying to share a plan I was excited about, and I feel like I was immediately dismissed and made fun of. I know you were joking around, but I actually feel upset.”
- “I already feel stressed about my career plans, so that comment was extra hurtful. It made me feel like you think I have no potential.”

Section 4 of 5:

Is it mean to say “put the fries in the bag?”

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“Put the fries in the bag” can be a hurtful insult. The phrase is used to belittle someone, imply that you’re better than them, and insinuate that they have no career prospects. This is pretty harsh! It’s also problematic that the phrase compares someone to a fast food worker as a way to put them down. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with working at a fast food restaurant, and it’s unkind to imply that this career path makes someone inferior to you.
- Although it’s possible to say “put the fries in the bag” in a lighthearted, joke-y way, you never know who might be genuinely hurt by this insult.
- Additionally, this phrase doesn’t just insult the person on the receiving end—it also insults fast food workers in general, which is not very nice.
- Because of all this, it’s a good idea to think twice before using it.

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Related Memes & Phrases

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Sir, this is a Wendy’s Like “put the fries in the bag,” this phrase comes from a fictional fast food interaction. A customer tries to strike up a conversation or goes on a tangent about something irrelevant, while the employee is just trying to do their job and move on. In response, the employee says, “Sir, this is a Wendy’s.” The slang phrase is now used to shut someone down or bring them back to earth when they’re rambling about something unimportant or beside the point.^{[7]
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- For example, if you're working on a project with a coworker and they randomly go off on a tangent about whether or not ghosts are real, you could respond, “Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s,” to bring them back to the task at hand.
- The phrase may have evolved from an episode of The Office, in which Michael Scott calls a phone number that he believes belongs to a woman he could potentially date, but it’s actually the number of a Wendy’s restaurant. When he flirts over the phone, the employee says, “No sir, this is a Wendy’s restaurant.^{[8]
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I just want my fries bro This phrase comes from a meme depicting a Chik-fil-A employee doing an impressive split leap in the air with the caption, “I just want my fries bro 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️.” It’s a riff on the original “put the fries in the bag” meme. In both fictional scenarios, the customer just wants to get their food and go home, rather than reminiscing with an employee or watching them do a split jump.^{[9]
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- In other words, it means you want someone to get to the point so you can both move on.
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It’s in the bag The common idiom “it’s in the bag” means that something is already taken care of, or that it’s certain you will win or succeed at something.^{[10]
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Research source} For example:
- “Don’t worry about the meeting tomorrow. The boss told me that your promotion is already in the bag.”
- “When the game started and we saw how poorly the other team was playing, we knew we had the championship in the bag.”
- “I’ve studied so hard for this test that I’m not even worried at all. That A+ is in the bag.”