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The internet world is fascinated by photos of “absolute units”. Try to imagine something extremely round and hearty compared to its peers: gigantic crabs, chonky cats or insanely huge hearts of blue whales. Whether it's animals, food or plants, things that are so out of proportion to its surrounding catches anyone's eye.

If you want to see it for yourself, there's a whole subreddit about it. It's called Absolute Units and its community has grown into almost 1M members over the last four years. As one of the rules there states, “Absolute units only. No normal units,” and it's true. We didn't even think things could get this big.

Bored Panda has compiled a list full of huge things you can find on the subreddit. And if that's still not enough, make sure to check out our previous posts here and here.

An “absolute unit'' is something or someone that is comically oversized. One Reddit user several years ago put it like this: "I don't know what an absolute unit is, but I know it when I see it.“ And that's absolutely true. The phrasing is hard to understand at first, but once you do get it, it can be applied to just about anything.

To teach people a bit more about the origin of it, Know Your Meme wrote that the very British term “absolute unit” emerged in the meme universe in 2017. A Twitter user @mrreptoid posted a picture of a British hotelier posing with the Queen of England. He titled the photo "In awe at the size of this lad. Absolute unit," referring to the hotelier. The tweet and its caption caught on over the following days and others started using it for pictures of various amusingly large objects.

#2

Take A Moment To Look At This Majestic Fluff

Take A Moment To Look At This Majestic Fluff

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The phrase gives out a positive and celebratory vibe—you're in “awe“ at how big some things can be. The number one rule in the subreddit r/AbsoluteUnits—be nice, no reason to be a rude unit—show how the moderators try to maintain this pleasant feeling throughout the posts. Another one says that posts should include people, not public figures and no creepshots or fat-shaming pics are allowed. As the moderators say, “We're looking for animals mostly, particularly cute animals which happen to be very large.“

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And the Museum of English Rural Units found exactly that. They posted a photo on Twitter showcasing a ram and captioned it “look at this absolute unit.” The tweet is counting 103.9K likes and more than 27K retweets. Adam Koszary, the museum’s manager explained that this particular ram is the complete package, full of meat and wool.

#3

Pour One Out For Big Jake, At One Point Certified As The Tallest Horse In The World By Guinness, Who Crossed The Rainbow Bridge Today.

Pour One Out For Big Jake, At One Point Certified As The Tallest Horse In The World By Guinness, Who Crossed The Rainbow Bridge Today.

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#4

"The Mountain" From Game Of Thrones (Actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) Is 6'8, 430lbs, Seen Here With His Father And Grandfather

"The Mountain" From Game Of Thrones (Actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) Is 6'8, 430lbs, Seen Here With His Father And Grandfather

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should have had his wife in the picture. I think she's 5'2" (He is 2m03 and she is 1m29).

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meinespammailadresse1 avatar
A B C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thats 2,03m and 195kg for those of us who like useful units

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Marnie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want to sit on one of their feet, wrap my arms around the leg, and then have him walk me around the room :-) I haven't done that since I had a boyfriend who was 6' 4". (He also used to give me piggy-back rides. I should have married him!)

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Storm Rise
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look at that sofa! It looks like a kiddies chair next to them...

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Glynna Bowood
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don't realize how big/tall they are until you see the sofa behind them!

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Stephen Lyford
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a photo with him, posing that he's crushing my head. He was a nice guy :)

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Monkey Love
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couch for scale!!! HOLY MOLY! They look normal if you don't look at anything else in the picture.

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Margrét Hauks
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This turd of a man is *allegedly* known for abusing the women in his life and has *allegedly* had multiple accusations of violence against him. He is not well liked in Iceland. *gotta add allegedly because he sues people who out him

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Wonderful
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh wow I didn’t know this. Looked it up and it is even mentioned on his Wikipedia page. This makes me sad.

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Chris Freeman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought it was most impressive that the Mountain isn't even as tall as his dad. Imagine being around that dude in school and he tells you, "wait until my dad gets a hold of you".

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Together they look postively normal! Hafthor also competes in World's Strongest Man and picks cars up with his bare hands.

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Sina
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The couch looks like it came from Barbie's house, in comparison to them all standing next to it!

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buttonpusher
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine one of those being your husband or dad. Nobody would f**k with you!

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François Carré
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rare example of Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga framed in the same picture.

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R C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

? What in meter and kilos? The world use metric system.

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Otter
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We called him "Mountie"! Well, until we started calling him "Frankenmountain".

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Other livestock is not often as large and stocky as this ram. To explain this further, Koszary wrote that “size and a solid build were considered key attributes by the folks who designed our modern farm breeds.” The farming pioneers took breeds and began to design animals to suit particular climates, landscapes, and production aims. In short, they started super-sizing them.

#5

People Don't Realize Just How Huge Moose Can Get

People Don't Realize Just How Huge Moose Can Get

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Julia Atkinson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Animals this size were common in prehistoric Europe, which is one of the many reasons I'm glad I didn't live in prehistoric Europe

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If you're brave enough, you can look for absolute units pretty much everywhere. The fashion world is full of creatives who cannot wait to bring new ideas to the game. And the trend that has been popular in the past few years is, you guessed it, oversized clothes. According to the Cut, men's fashion is all about proportion. Noah Johnson, a senior editor at GQ Style, said, “If the Balenciaga Triple S is the piece of the moment, it’s all about being oversized to the point of ridiculousness.”

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And even though dad's sneakers and enormous jackets are very bulky, they look unmistakably fashionable. The “absolute unit” meme went as far as it did “not just because it was funny, but also because it hit a cultural nerve.“ Fashion world adopted it simply because the internet is where men feel comfortable talking about clothes.

#10

My Maine Coon Compared To My 5'5" Girlfriend

My Maine Coon Compared To My 5'5" Girlfriend

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So as you can see from the compiled list of amusingly oversized stuff, “absolute unit” can be implied to nearly everything. After seeing real examples of it, you should understand the essence of what being an absolute unit brings about.

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#14

The Size Of The Bald Eagle Caught On A Trail Cam.

The Size Of The Bald Eagle Caught On A Trail Cam.

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Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WOW, coyote be like "nope" ..... Edit: Grumble O'Pug pointed out that it's a coyote not a wolf.

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#15

These Absolute Units Of Antlers On These Red Stags

These Absolute Units Of Antlers On These Red Stags

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#16

Someone Said Cuddles Would Fit Here

Someone Said Cuddles Would Fit Here

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#17

Anyone Missing A Big Boy? This Guy Was Found Alone In The Forest And Is At My Local Humane Society.

Anyone Missing A Big Boy? This Guy Was Found Alone In The Forest And Is At My Local Humane Society.

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#18

Absolute Herb Unit

Absolute Herb Unit

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Green thumb gardener. Fun fact…gardeners are eternal optimists, like it or not. Anyone who routinely puts a dried up seed into a patch of soil just knowing something miraculous will happen in the near future.

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#19

Very Thicc Floof

Very Thicc Floof

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#20

Basically Everything About These Baobab Trees Is Fit For This Sub.

Basically Everything About These Baobab Trees Is Fit For This Sub.

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#21

Behemoth Butter Cabbage Grown In Hedensted, Denmark

Behemoth Butter Cabbage Grown In Hedensted, Denmark

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#23

Absolute Unit Of A Tortoise

Absolute Unit Of A Tortoise

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#25

When You Misplace A Point Ordering A Drill Bit

When You Misplace A Point Ordering A Drill Bit

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#26

Some Units Need Trailers!

Some Units Need Trailers!

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#27

The Tallest Mallard Duck To Have Ever Lived (Since Records Began) Known As 'Long Boi' He Lives On The Campus Of The University Of York, England. He Stands Just Over 1m Tall (3.5ft).

The Tallest Mallard Duck To Have Ever Lived (Since Records Began) Known As 'Long Boi' He Lives On The Campus Of The University Of York, England. He Stands Just Over 1m Tall (3.5ft).

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#29

This Guinea Pig Is An Absolute Unit

This Guinea Pig Is An Absolute Unit

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#30

Green Bean Dad Grew, Banana For Scale.

Green Bean Dad Grew, Banana For Scale.

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#31

The Size Of Those Ears!

The Size Of Those Ears!

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#33

This 80 Year Old Saltwater Crocodile From Australia.

This 80 Year Old Saltwater Crocodile From Australia.

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#34

Quartz Crystal Cluster On Display In A Museum In Namibia. This Is The World's Largest Quartz Cluster, It Was Discovered In 1985 At The Bottom Of A 45 Metre Deep Cave In The Otjua Mine Near Karibib In Namibia. It Weighs 14,100 Kg And Took Three Years To Excavate And Remove.

Quartz Crystal Cluster On Display In A Museum In Namibia. This Is The World's Largest Quartz Cluster, It Was Discovered In 1985 At The Bottom Of A 45 Metre Deep Cave In The Otjua Mine Near Karibib In Namibia. It Weighs 14,100 Kg And Took Three Years To Excavate And Remove.

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#37

This Polypore I Found! Don’t Worry, It Was Already Detached And Wasn’t Picked For The Photo

This Polypore I Found! Don’t Worry, It Was Already Detached And Wasn’t Picked For The Photo

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if it was picked, to remove it from a tree does not harm either the tree or the fungi. Very cool find

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#41

My Wife As A Baby. Absolute Unit.

My Wife As A Baby. Absolute Unit.

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#42

Boy With His Pet Boar, Ca. 1930.

Boy With His Pet Boar, Ca. 1930.

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#43

Tasmanian Giant Crab. Absolute Unit

Tasmanian Giant Crab. Absolute Unit

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#44

This Absolute Unit Of A Guard Captain At Castle Hochosterwitz In Austria. He Is Said To Have Been 2,25 Meters Tall (7'10').

This Absolute Unit Of A Guard Captain At Castle Hochosterwitz In Austria. He Is Said To Have Been 2,25 Meters Tall (7'10').

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#47

Largest Breed Of Chicken And Smallest Breed Of Chicken

Largest Breed Of Chicken And Smallest Breed Of Chicken

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#48

I Thought That Was His Chin

I Thought That Was His Chin

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#50

Frog Turned Unit?

Frog Turned Unit?

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Note: this post originally had 102 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.