# What is it? memes (meams?) this is

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635 "2017-01-08T17:36:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635/1 "2017-01-08T17:36:47Z")

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I hear this word a lot now days and while I feel embarrassed to admit I’m about a hundred years behind the times, I’m not too embarrassed to ask anyway. What are they? and how is it spelled right? :o

TIA

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**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635/2 "2017-01-08T17:42:30Z")

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> **[Meme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme)**
>
> A meme (/miːm/ MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices, that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to Proponen...

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**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635/3 "2017-01-08T19:57:47Z")

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[A previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=764743), including some discussion on “meme as image macro” vs. the more general concept coined by Richard Dawkins.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635/4 "2017-01-09T13:55:15Z")

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[Here](http://www.rubinghscience.org/memetics/dawkinsmemes.html) is the source for the word and concept. The meaning of the word has, ironically enough, evolved over time. (And ironically enough, the meaning of the word “ironic” has evolved over time, but that’s a different post.)

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**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-memes-meams-this-is/776635/5 "2017-01-09T14:20:09Z")

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Cecil’s colum: [What’s a meme?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2495/what-is-a-meme)