A prevailing trend on the internet has quickly gone from a humorous quirk to a tiresome annoyance for many users. The ‘Look between X and Y letters on keyboard’ meme has become a significant talking point on social media, with reactions ranging from amusement to irritation.
This internet trend involves social media posts that instruct users to “look between” certain letters on their keyboard, usually with a photo attached. The purpose is usually to elicit a specific response based on the phonetics of the keys involved.
For instance, a popular variant of this meme could be:
“When asked, ‘What would you like to drink?’ Look between R and Y on your keyboard.”
In this scenario, the answer is “T,” which is short for tea.
The meme traces back to 2021 and has roots in anime fandom. It initially had users spelling out a character named Yui from the Japanese show “K-On!,” as the keys are next to each other. This quirky trend hit the mainstream just last week.
From there, it wasn’t long before this meme started gaining traction with some of the internet’s most influential accounts. Even Guinness World Records took a stab at the meme. They used it to address an applicant who wanted to break the record for the longest streak without sleeping, asking them to “look between T and U on your keyboard,” implying the question “Y,” short for why.
Even major brands like Sony didn’t miss the chance. In a tweet celebrating the theatrical re-release of Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2,” Sony asked who is going to re-watch the 2004 film, before encouraging fans to “look between Y and I on your keyboard.” The answer is “U,” short for you.
The New England Patriots also joined the trend, using the meme to tease their draft pick. They told users they would reveal who they were drafting by looking between the keys “J” and “K,” referencing the phrase “just kidding.”
As the meme’s popularity grew, so did the frustration of many internet users. Many people, especially those who didn’t understand the joke, started pleading for it to end. They urged memers to look between “W” and “R,” “B” and “M,” and “S” and “F” — all in a bid to bring the meme to an E.N.D.
Comments like “This joke only lasts 0.01 second,” and “Just muting accounts at this point,” were common among irritated users. The consensus was clear: “MAKE IT STOP.”
