Everything You Need to Know About the “Someone Cooked Here” Meme

Download Article

How this Breaking Bad quote went viral on TikTok

Co-authored by Jenna Jean Davis and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: April 20, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

Meaning

|

Scenarios & Examples

|

Origin

|

How to Use

|

Video

“Someone cooked here” has become a viral audio and reaction meme on social media sites like TikTok. The meme is most commonly used by women to express their pleasant surprise when their boyfriend knows something straight men typically don’t. “Someone cooked here” refers to the man’s ex, who likely taught him what he knows. Keep reading to learn all about the “Someone cooked here” meme, including its meaning, origin, and how to use it on TikTok.

What does “Someone cooked here” mean?

People use "Someone cooked here" when they’re pleasantly surprised by their boyfriend's behavior and realize that they were taught positive things by their ex. The ex is the one who “cooked” and the evidence is their partner's surprising and positive behavior. It's based on a popular TikTok meme, which started with the show Breaking Bad.

Section 1 of 4:

Someone Cooked Here Meaning

Download Article

“Someone cooked here” is a way to jokingly suggest that someone (probably an ex) taught a man something positive. Beginning as a line from Breaking Bad, the phrase “Someone cooked here” is now an audio and meme commonly used on TikTok. Like Walter White finding evidence of someone cooking meth, it means the ex has left “evidence” of their relationship with a man, and that "evidence" is a positive, surprising behavior or piece of knowledge that the man now has.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- The meme is typically used as a TikTok audio or reaction image and is most commonly used by women to talk about the way their boyfriends surprise them with their knowledge of stereotypically feminine things, like skin care, hair care, or even rom-coms.
- For example, there’s a stereotype that straight men always have navy blue sheets, so if your boyfriend doesn’t, an ex-girlfriend might have suggested a different color. Upon realizing this, you’d say “Someone cooked here.”
- While the trend is mostly a way for women to poke fun at their boyfriends, it’s not always gendered. Anyone can use the phrase when they’re surprised someone knows something the poster usually has to explain.
- For example, someone from Australia might use the audio with the caption “Me when an American knows how to pronounce Melbourne correctly.”

Section 2 of 4:

Someone Cooked Here Scenarios

Download Article

1
“Someone cooked here” is most commonly used for relationship humor. The person who posts the audio or meme typically points out their partner’s behavior or mannerisms that the poster doesn’t think they learned themselves. They believe their partner’s ex taught them to behave that way, and this meme is a lighthearted way of acknowledging it.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Someone might use the “Someone cooked here” audio with a caption like “When he asked if I’m hungry and I said ‘no,’ but he got me a snack anyway.”
- Or, “When I want to read his birth chart and he already knows his birth time without having to ask his mom.”
- Or, “When I asked him about his love language and he answered right away.”
- While this use of the meme is generally positive and lighthearted, it sometimes reflects a serious realization that the poster isn’t the only person their partner has ever been with. For example, if someone finds their partner still has an old sweatshirt from an ex, they may have a “Someone cooked here” moment.
2
The meme also points out green flags in potential partners. Similarly, some people use the audio when they’re first getting to know a potential partner. They recognize positive behaviors and patterns that were, again, likely learned from an ex. These behaviors let the poster know that this person will probably be a good partner and that they should continue to develop the relationship.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- For example, someone might use the meme when they walk into a guy’s bedroom for the first time and see that he has a bed frame with a headboard. There’s a stereotype that many straight men don’t have headboards or even bed frames.
- Or, they may make a video when they realize the person they’re talking to actually texts them back in a reasonable amount of time.
- Or, someone might be surprised when they find out the guy they’re seeing has a lot of organized skin care products or doesn’t use 3-in-1 shampoo.
3
It also shows how friends’ mannerisms can rub off on each other. While this trend mainly focuses on romantic partners, it doesn’t have to. Someone might post a “Someone cooked here” video when they realize they’ve begun using their friend’s slang or copying their mannerisms. It’s a way of showing how close they are and how much influence they have on each other.
- As an example, “When I use my best friend’s catchphrase knowing I never said it before meeting them.”
- Or, “When I start watching a TV show with 13 seasons because it’s all my friend talks about.”
- Similarly, someone might use this meme to show how their behaviors have been influenced by the media they consume or their favorite celebrities. For example, someone an American who watches a lot of British TV shows may find themselves using the word “bloody” a lot.
4
It also means that someone has been negatively affected by past experiences. Even though the “Someone cooked here” trend is mostly fun and positive, it can sometimes be used to show that someone has insecurities or trauma from a past experience. Someone might recognize that their negative traits or weaknesses are directly related to a toxic relationship, for example.
- A video like this might say “When she’s emotionally unavailable and has her walls up.” This shows that the person posting the video realizes the woman acts this way because of a past relationship.
- Or, “When I’m just trying to have a conversation and he automatically gets defensive and shuts down.”
- Or, “When someone apologizes after every little thing even though it isn’t a big deal.”

Section 3 of 4:

Someone Cooked Here Origins

Download Article

In season 4, episode 11 of Breaking Bad, Walter White realizes someone else has been cooking meth in the facility he’s been using. He then says “Someone cooked here,” which is the audio clip that often accompanies the TikTok meme.^{[4]
X
Research source}
In November 2022, a Breaking Bad fan account posted the “Someone cooked here” screenshot, which other users then used to create reaction image memes. The meme continued to spread across X into early 2023.
In August 2023, a user posted a greenscreen template of White saying the phrase, which other users quickly adapted into their own videos. It was mostly used by women who were surprised when they discovered a man knew about something feminine that most men typically didn’t. They used the audio “Someone cooked here” to indicate that another woman had taught him what he knew.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Section 4 of 4:

How to Use Someone Cooked Here on TikTok

Download Article

1
Use the audio when you’re surprised by something your boyfriend knows. While this meme can be applied to many situations, most commonly, women use it when they realize their boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend taught him something he wouldn’t otherwise know or do. You might post a TikTok video with this audio when you expect to have to explain something to him but you’re shocked that he already knows. Here are some examples of what you might say:^{[6]
X
Research source}
- “When I told my boyfriend we should watch Twilight and he said he’s already seen it.”
- “When the guy I’m talking to already knows all the lyrics to “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” by Taylor Swift.
- “When I start texting a man and he already types in all lowercase.”
- “When he asks if I’m wearing standing or sitting jeans.”
- You could also do the opposite and make a video about something a girl knows that is more traditionally associated with men, implying that an ex-boyfriend taught it to her.
2
Make a reaction meme about something you know that most people don’t. Many TikTok and X (Twitter) users also use “Someone cooked here” when someone knows a niche fact about something most people aren’t familiar with. This can be related to their career, hobby, or where they live. Here are some examples:^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Me, a doctor, when someone knows Tylenol doesn’t treat inflammation so they take ibuprofen instead.”
- “Me, a barista, when a customer knows exactly what order to say their drink customizations.”
- “When I meet someone from California and they know how to pronounce Appalachia correctly.”