What Is 'Tuna Sub' Spelled Backwards And Why Should You Not Say It? The Viral Meme Explained

There's a warning being issued across social media through memes and it's telling people not to spell or say 'tuna sub' backwards. The memes follow in a long line of memes telling people "don't do" something, including a 2021 meme telling people not to spell 'kid among us' backwards. Here's why.

What Is The 'Tuna Sub Backwards' Meme?

In 2013, an old meme featuring a sloth was uploaded to Quick Meme featuring the troubling caption, "You know what 'tuna sub' says backwards? What I'm gonna do to your face." The meme and the catchphrase spread over the following years.

By 2015, influencer RiceGum shared it and by 2016, an Urban Dictionary user defined it. But what does it mean? Well, if you spell "tuna sub" backwards, you get "bus anut," which, when spoken, sounds like a slang term referencing a specific type of male emission.

How Is 'Tuna Sub Backwards' Used In Memes?

Memes jokingly telling people not to spell or say "tuna sub" backwards became increasingly popular throughout the 2020s on sites like Instagram and Facebook. The majority of the memes are image macros either asking people not to spell it backwards, or revealing that backwards, it spells "bus anut."

The meme has also seen some use on YouTube in videos where one character tells another not to spell it backwards, including a SpongeBob themed video that gained over 1.6 million views in a year.

For the full history of tuna sub backwards, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.