Think you know your memes? Let's find out.
Funny cartoons, cute animal videos, celebrity selfies: socials are awash with more memes than you can possibly remember… or can you?
BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story has gathered together five viral trends from social media and taken away some vital information. Can you identify every meme correctly?
How much do you know about these viral memes and social media trends?
If you prefer reading about memes and trends, you'll find all the information here on some of the funniest, most popular social media posts from the past few months.
How many of these do you already know? Have you used any of them yourself?
Note: This section repeats content from the quiz - only read this if you don't want to play the quiz first.
1. 'Quiet on the ______'
What meme is this image be referring to?
'Quiet on the ______'
'Quiet on the creek' meme - explained!
This meme originated in a Saucy Santana song, from advice the singer was given when fishing to be 'quiet on the creek' so as not to scare the fish away.
It can be used to mean 'being quiet' to keep a low profile or to avoid jinxing a new relationship.
Some of the most popular versions of the meme have put the song to clips of cartoon characters sneaking around, from SpongeBob and Agent P to Peppa Pig's family.
IMAGE CREDITS: TikTok/Desean, @cinnamxnrollq, @yooitssjayylaa, @iwillmakeit21527
2. What does the dog do next?
What is this dog about to start doing?
Dancing AI pet dogs - explained!
Yes, the dog starts dancing - to Single Ladies by Beyoncé if you're wondering!
There have been plenty of dancing dog memes trending before, but this one gives you the chance to cast your own pets in the video and transform them into AI-generated dance sensations.
In the last few years, generative AI has enabled social media users to give viral memes a more personal dimension - notably when the Cat in the Hat appeared to be visiting local neighbourhoods. But Beyoncé fans are no strangers to telling fact from fake.
IMAGE CREDIT: Instagram/miso_ara
3. What are these colourful dots?
What would you expect someone to do with this?
Dot cakes trend - explained!
You would eat these delicious items. Dot cakes are single serving cakes, containing layers of sponge and icing with a top layer completely coated in rainbow sprinkles.
They were popularised by a New York bakery and have gone viral as a result, with social media users all over the world having a go at making their own.
Of course, dot cakes are far from the only food that's gone viral…
IMAGE CREDIT: TikTok/@ashleymarkletreats
4. Who went to see The Last Supper?
Leonardo Da Vinci's mural The Last Supper attracts visitors from around the world, but which music icon is pictured here with it?
Mariah Carey at The Last Supper - explained!
It was Mariah Carey - as one fan commented, 'TWO MASTERPIECES!'
The collision of a music icon and one of the best-known pieces of art in history provoked a big reaction online, especially when fans read a trace of side-eye into Mariah's expression.
Social media was immediately buzzing with Mariah/Last Supper memes, from changing the mural to something else in the background, to editing Mariah into the painting itself.
IMAGE CREDIT: Instagram/mariahcarey
5. Pick the viral shape
Three simple shapes: a circle, a rectangle, a triangle. But which of these has been getting everyone talking online?
Rectangle memes - explained!
TikTok users have been noticing just how many rectangles they're surrounded by in everyday life.
The device you're using to read this is probably rectangular, and the image above is a rectangle with three rectangular pictures inside it - divided by two slimmer rectangles!
Social media gives us a chance to share our thoughts on some of the little things we might not always notice - to the point we suddenly can't stop thinking about them.
IMAGE CREDITS: TikTok/@areya_ann, @joslyngmalave, @colecake
6. Name that raccoon!
Finally, what's the name of this intrepid raccoon?
Jimothy the Raccoon - explained!
His name is Jimothy (though he didn't choose the name himself).
He was spotted in the US this July by a Seattle resident who managed to take a quick video before he scampered away. It's possible he has some kind of spinal condition, which would explain the distinctive shape that quickly made him an unlikely social media celebrity.
Some wildlife videos you'll see online are AI fakes, but Steve Backshall has useful advice on how to tell them apart from truly amazing real creatures like Jimothy.
IMAGE CREDIT: Instagram/c1vrgr1
Do you know the difference between AI images and real photos? Think you can spot fake news stories? Challenge yourself with more fantastic quizzes!
This article was published in October 2026.
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