What's 'The Knee Thing' On TikTok?

With an ominous name such as "The Knee Thing," this TikTok trend could be anything. Besides its interesting name, The Knee Thing also seemed potentially sexual in nature but not outright obvious. In turn, it was a mystery for many, appearing on their For You page and inspiring further interest.

That's probably what led you here. You're hoping to discover what The Knee Thing actually is. It's a concept that's part of the LGBTQ+ community, but now that it's more mainstream, everyone wants to know what it is. Let's explain.

What Is "The Knee Thing?"

This slang term and concept refers to a make-out and kissing technique. When one partner is on top of a female partner, the partner on top places their knee between the woman's thighs to rub it and well … stimulate them. It's a simple maneuver that stems from a more widely known technique that you'll need to search for elsewhere.

Who Came Up With "The Knee Thing?"

It's hard to pinpoint who exactly coined, discovered or discussed The Knee Thing online first, however, it traces back as early as 2018 on Twitter within funny tweets of the time. Twitter user @alfred_savage is the first-known internet user to reference the technique on the platform. Even though @alfred_savage appears to be male-identifying, The Knee Thing definitely started within lesbian discourse of the mid-2010s.

What Does "The Knee Thing" Mean On TikTok?

Without a doubt, TikTok is where The Knee Thing has been referenced the most in memetic content. Starting in late 2020, members of the lesbian community on the platform started to humorously fantasize about their partners or hook-ups placing their knee between them. On October 19th, 2020, TikToker @uhhnorine was the first to do so with a video that had text overlay reading, "when ur making out and she does the knee thing."

From there, the inside joke within the community spread to all its members, picking up traction going into 2021 and 2022. TikToks that referenced The Knee Thing in early 2022 accumulated millions of plays, earning stitches and Duets and inspiring further engagement from cross-platform awareness.

For the full history of "The Knee Thing," be sure to check out our entry on it here for even more information.