Before the internet, people must have just been ok with random mysteries, sequences of codes or symbols that they knew they’d never learn the explanation for. But in the digital age, there is nothing stopping someone from posting a question or picture and waiting for the ‘net to provide more context.
So we’ve gathered some of the most interesting posts from the “What does this mean” internet group, a space dedicated to questions people can’t seem to find answers for. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your own stories and answers in the comments down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
Belated Christmas Gift
AtavisticJackal:
Alice in chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Oasis
Greenday, Radiohead, Offspring, Smashing Pumpkins
Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Cranberries
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bush, Counting Crows, Korn
Found This Writing On A Car In Hamburg
One_Flower_4173:
The expression/greeting in question is 'Ramadan Kareem' [Arabic: رمضان كريم] literally means "Generous Ramadan" or "Noble Ramadan". It is used to wish someone a blessed, generous month filled with kindness.
What Does This Bumper Sticker Mean?
taarna42:
It's from the movie Practical Magic.
Sally Owens: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, always have rosemary grow by a garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and be sure to fall in love.
Found On A Shirt. How Are They Related?
Apart-Airline-8443:
Jewrassic park?
This is an “ugly Channukah sweater” in the tradition of the ugly Christmas sweater.
A Schizophrenic Inmate Drew This. What Does It Mean, If Anything? 🤔
whoamannipples:
It doesn’t mean anything in the world you and I live in OP, but it certainly means something in the world of that guy’s mind. Intricate notes and drawings like this are pretty typical of schizoid-affected people.
It seems like something mysterious and important because to the person who made it, it is. But none of it is real.
Someone Put A Plastic Fish On My Car Door Handle
PointBreakvsLebowski:
I know someone who puts ducks that size everywhere, just for people to find and hopefully put a smile on their face. This may be that, but they like fish
What Does This Mean
suncity353:
You're about to get robbed.
Get out of your car and find out.
Seen At A Coffee Shop
junipyr-lilak:
Banana orientation. Putting them upside down can cause them to split from each other which can cause them to go bad faster. They also stack more nicely in the same orientation. Working retail does some strange things to the mind, unfortunately this is one thing that will stick with me.
I’ve Been Driving Past This Sign On The PA Turnpike For At Least A Year. I’ve Asked A Lot Of Local Friends But No One Knows What It Means. It’s Near A Singer Factory, Which Makes Sewing Machines
FroyoAromatic9392:
There is a famous company that produces sewing machines named Singer.
Singer Equipment is not that company. They’re counting on people recognizing the other brand name as part of their ad campaign.
Singer Equipment does like restaurant and hotel supply.
What Does This Mean?
bstrauss3:
EU right to repair.
They're basically staking out a position that they will not make spare parts available after 7 years.
The appliance probably comes with a one-year warranty and they would have to repair it during that time. After that under right to repair they need to make information and spare parts available so you can repair it yourself or have it repaired.
It's equal to "life expectancy." It is estimated that appliance will last 7 years.
Tf Does This Mean
ForTheLoveOfLongmont:
"iPhone face" is used to refer to the idea online that some actors have too modern of a 'look' for historical roles, i.e. "a face that has definitely seen an iPhone" or something along those lines.
This poster is saying that "iPhone face" has less to do with the actors themselves, but instead happens because of poor styling choices. Both images are of the actress Margot Robbie in a historical role, but in the image in the right, from Wuthering Heights (2026), she suffers from "iPhone face" due to poor styling of her hair, makeup, and costuming
Yeah, I don't think they were trying to be anywhere near historically accurate with Wuthering Heights they wanted her to look attractive in a 21st century sense
My Wife Was Gifted This Arabian Perfume Years Ago And It Drives Me Crazy
ThomasAugsburger:
White Oud
Any Idea What This Means? Someone Wrote It In My Building Stairwell
MillionDollarHeckler:
It's Klatchian, it's says "Enjoy your day"
What The Hell Does The Sticker Mean?
inthewoods54:
I think he's trying to say guns aren't the problem, the way you're raising your kids are the problem. At least that's my guess.
Got This At An Estate Sale, What Does It Say??
genderlawyer:
It appears to state 英吉沙 (Yīngjíshā) a place in Xinjiang. It is cultural region famous for its knives. I do not personally know mandarin, nor do I have any knowledge of Yīngjíshā, however, I have experience writing similar characters in Japanese, and the text appears amateurish. Both the text and the "1993" share the same sort of improper shape/kerning/spacing. It makes me think that this is a poor quality knife which has had a famous location written on it to raise the perceived value of the knife - like scratching "Champaign" onto a bottle of sparkling wine.
Friend Has This. Isn't Sure What It Means
GrumpyGlasses:
It means patience but the Chinese lettering is terrible.
Weird Keychain
Ebonhearth_Druid:
It's a moose and a squirrel, aka Rocky and Bullwinkle. "You're the moose to my squirrel" would be an indicator of true and unbreakable friendship.
The show Supernatural used this reference a lot with Crowley calling the brothers Moose and Squirrel because the two are inseparable and always ruining his plans, so it could be an indirect reference to that, which is just another reference to Rocky and Bullwinkle
Anyone Get This Joke?
Kityri:
It’s implying that the boy at school compared him to his dad as an insult. The son didn’t say anything back because the boy is a bully. Dad thought it was a compliment, the son did not.
What Does This Cause Of Death Say ?
OwnLobster1701:
Improper closure of foetal heart valves resulting in so called Blue Baby
This baby probably had Tetralogy of Fallot, a cardiac birth defect that prevents the heart from pumping out enough oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. This results in a blue-ish tinge to the skin, so the condition used to be known as "Blue Baby Syndrome". Until the first surgical treatment for Tetralogy of Fallot was developed in 1944, the prognosis for these children was very poor: many did not survive their first year, and none survived past about 10 years old.
On The Vatican Museum Official Website
DubstepJuggalo69:
Probably what happened is someone typed "Male" and it auto-translated from Italian.
Trying To Figure Out What This Picture Is And What “No Dislike” Is Meant To Mean
DoesntMatterEh:
What ever you do, meep dry.
I assume no dislike means don't treat this package roughly
Why Did The Price Of My Order Sky Rocket?
Historical-Low-6535:
Yeah if you actually go to the website, the big blue banner across your screen at their websites home page, answers your questions for you. You're paying tarrifs.
All Right, What Did My Wife Bought Because This Is Not Seasoning
AbilityEqual1891:
That's rubbing oil for pain. It does say in English, "FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY" on the box. Highly likely to contain turpentine if that's the case.
What Is This Word, What Does It Mean, And In What Language ?
Senior-Summer-4476:
To me, it looks like "четверг" (Chetverg) which is Thursday in Russian.
What Do These Characters Translate To In English?
ElkEngineer:
恭喜发财 - basically may you make a fortune/be prosperous/get rich. It’s a very common phrase during lunar new year!
OMG there's an Asian supermarket in my area that sells apples exactly like this! I think they put something on them while they're ripening so it's like apple tan lines.
Anyone Know What This Says?
CompetitiveBag9279:
It means good luck in chinese, along with the green jade which is a luck symbol
Saw This On The Back Of A Car, What Is Scan Queen?
yarn_b:
For an ultrasound tech more than likely
Painted On My Street. What Does It Mean?
bear45188721:
Milling is like scraping off the top layer before laying new asphalt.
Why Do People Waste Bagels Like This? Apparently, This Is Common In Urban Areas, Whether The Bagels/Bread Are In Bags On The Ground Or Scattered On The Ground.. I Doubt These Are For The Birds.. Does This Signify Something? Who Would Do This?!?!
ImportantRepublic965:
My guess is that these bagels were thrown away behind the bakery because they didn’t sell in a certain period of time. Then a hungry person took the bag from the trash, ate their fill and left the rest of the bagels scattered on the sidewalk.
Girlfriend Got This From Her Mom And We Were Wondering If This Is Lettering Or Just A Design
DealerTurbulent7725:
It’s turned backwards but it means longevity
Quick, turn it the right way around - if it's backwards you only have a short time left to live!
Not Understanding This Picture
reveillemoname:
The father is a trucker. Or a transformer.
What Do The Symbols Translate To?
My parents are concerned the symbols might be some satanic thing which I really doubt but they won't let me buy it unless they know what the symbols mean. I am referring to the symbols along the edges not the big symbol. If anyone knows, I would appreciate the help. I tried to translate it myself but I don't really know what in doing and when I searched "thplodninja" which is what I ended up with, I couldn't find anything. I didn't look very hard so maybe that's the problem. Thanks.
UrAFrogg:
It’s just gibberish. It’s made to look cool
"I am a mod for r/Runes, r/RuneHelp, r/Norse, r/NorseMythology and other relevant subs so hopefully I can help with this one. The runic writing is the same everywhere on the item. The runes as written are ᚦᛈᛚᛟᛞᚾᛁᚾᛃᚨ and they transliterate to þplodninja. This is not a real word in any Germanic language so we can tell this is a mis-transliteration of something. I’m not sure what it was meant to say but it looks like it’s pretty obviously supposed to contain the word “ninja” (although it’s worth noting that the rune usually transliterated as j does not represent the sound of an English j but of the English consonant y; so funny enough this would actually be pronounced like the Spanish word niña “little girl”). Whatever þplod is supposed to be, I have no idea." (continued)
What Does This Asl Sweater Say?
Ferocula:
It’s signed English, not ASL. We don’t use “is” or “to” in ASL. It’s supposed to say: “Ability to communicate is progress.” If I were translating this into ASL, I’d probably have it say something like: “ABILITY - COMMUNICATE - THAT - PROGRESS”. It’s tricky not having facial expressions in the design, leaving it up to the viewer to interpret meaning w/o clues. It’s tricky to draw and represent ASL in a design like this - but not impossible.
At A Local Gas Station
Undermost_Drip:
Don't drop in painted pop tabs. They cost much more to recycle them back into child medical supplies.
just4diy:
No, it's still way easier to recycle existing aluminum than to extract it from raw ore, regardless of how contaminated it is. Processing ore is super difficult.
in Australia they are saved and donated to charities to make parts for wheelchairs also
This Came From A Random Sticker Pack Where All Stickers Were Mainly Yellow And Positive
LordGaben01:
Old vine meme.
What Does Getting “Cracked” Mean??
mCharles88:
Current top comment: Went to the chiropractor.
Current second top comment: Successfully laid.
Current third top comment: Got laid with the chiropractor.
In this context, it most likely means she was laid and is in a good mood because of it.
Saw This Poster In The Bathroom At Forrest Hills Stadium During A Concert
LeoPromissio:
The first part, I’d guess, means that the first bit of toilet paper you tear off should only be half an arms’ length. Then see how you’re doing after that. Like, ‘keep rolling along’ or something. So confusing.
Suggested amount to hold against your a*s to muffle a truly glorious fart?
What Does This Stand For?
iMegastoner710:
God is greater than the highs and lows
G well obvious God Greater sign Mountain Valley
What Does This Ring Say?
Fun-Sky-679:
LGE, in Monogram script it's traditional to place the last initial in the middle. This would be easy to polish down and re engrave if desired
They're Doing Some Construction Down The Street From Me, And These Marks Are On The Sidewalk, And I'm Wondering What They Mean
hubtackset:
The point is a 40 ft offset of design (centerline) station 59+00 (5,900 ft).
What Does This Mean
Urithiru:
The "Thiên Tâm" symbol, or "Heart of Heaven," is significant in Vietnamese culture for representing harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of the universe. It embodies the idea of cosmic order, unity, and personal growth, serving as a cultural and spiritual symbol found in art, architecture, and spiritual practices.
No, it isn't. It's a new religion that was founded in 2017, and it is not very popular in Vietnam.
What Does This Symbol Mean?
anon:
It's for the national society of roofers, everyone gets one after 2 years. A worker must have lost it. Apparently they interact with the sun quite a bit and it's a symbol of consistency.
This is BS. There's no such ring for roofers. 🙄 The symbol is Mexican/Aztec.
What Does My Starbucks Cup Say?
Jickey:
You rock!❤️
They couldn't think of anything else so focussed on one post (the schizophrenic patient's writing)
Load More Replies...They couldn't think of anything else so focussed on one post (the schizophrenic patient's writing)
Load More Replies...
