# Give Orange Me Give Orange Me Give Eat Orange Me Eat Orange Give Me Eat Orange Give Me You "Give Orange Me Give Eat Orange Me Eat Orange Give Me Eat Orange Give Me You" is a catchphrase meme based on the longest recorded sign language phrase produced by a non-human primate. The phrase was signed by Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee in a 1970s Columbia University language study, as an attempt to ask for food. The absurd, repetitive string of words went viral in 2020 after YouTube edits turned the phrase into a comedic punchline, and it later spread to TikTok as an ironic "deep quote" audio trend. ## Origin Nim Chimpsky was born on November 19, 1973, at the Institute for Primate Studies in Norman, Oklahoma[2]. He was named as a pun on linguist Noam Chomsky, whose theory held that humans are biologically wired for language in a way animals are not[2]. Herbert S. Terrace, a psychology professor at Columbia University, led Project Nim to test whether a chimpanzee could learn American Sign Language well enough to challenge Chomsky's position[2]. The project was troubled from the start. Nim was shuffled between roughly 60 different caregivers, most of whom were students or volunteers with little sign language proficiency[2]. Mary Wambaugh, a deaf woman fluent in ASL, joined the team three years in and raised concerns that Nim was being taught a pidgin version of the language rather than proper ASL[2]. Terrace eventually concluded that Nim was mimicking signs to get rewards rather than constructing meaningful sentences[2]. The famous orange phrase came out of this study. On July 24, 2017, NPR's Skunk Bear published a YouTube segment titled "Can Apes Really 'Talk' To Humans?" which covered the history of primate language research[1]. The phrase appeared at the 5:00 mark of the video, and the segment picked up over 2.3 million views in six years[1]. - **Platform:** YouTube (NPR's Skunk Bear segment), TikTok (audio trend) - **Creator:** NPR's Skunk Bear (viral video), Gabriel Landon (viral edit), Nim Chimpsky (original signer) - **Date:** 2017 (viral spread), 1970s (original phrase) ## Overview The meme centers on a famously garbled sign language phrase produced by Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who was the subject of a controversial language acquisition study at Columbia University in the 1970s[2]. When Nim tried to ask for an orange, he signed what researchers recorded as "give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." The phrase is recognized as the longest sentence ever communicated by a non-human animal[1]. The humor comes from the sheer desperation and repetition of the request. Nim clearly wanted an orange and threw every combination of signs he knew at the problem. The phrase reads like someone mashing a keyboard with a single thought in mind, which made it perfect meme material. ## How It Spread The phrase sat quietly in the NPR video for a few years before meme creators found it. On August 5, 2020, YouTube user Udge uploaded a DK Rap remix of the phrase, an early sign that people saw comedic potential in Nim's garbled request[1]. The video earned around 14,000 views in three years. The real breakout came on September 22, 2020, when YouTube user Gabriel Landon uploaded an edit that took the original five-second clip and artificially stretched it to eighteen seconds by repeating the middle portion[1]. The loop made the already absurd phrase even more overwhelming, and the video racked up over 8.7 million views in three years[1]. On TikTok, the phrase took on a second life as an ironic "deep quote" format. On June 28, 2022, TikTok user coffee_withcreamer posted a video with the setup that a chimpanzee quote could never make them cry, followed by the full Nim Chimpsky phrase appearing on screen while the creator pretended to weep[1]. This template spread across the platform, with users treating Nim's food request as though it were profound poetry. ## How to Use The meme works in two main formats: **The ironic deep quote:** Set up any scenario where someone says a particular type of content could never make them emotional. Then reveal the "give orange me" phrase as the thing that broke them. The joke is the gap between how the phrase is presented (as something meaningful) and what it actually is (a chimp asking for fruit). **The extended loop edit:** Take audio or text of the phrase and repeat or stretch it for comedic effect. The humor comes from the relentless, almost panicked repetition of the same few words rearranged in every possible order. In both cases, the full phrase is typically included. Shortening it defeats the purpose, since the length and repetition are the joke. ## Cultural Impact The meme brought renewed attention to Project Nim and the broader debate over animal language studies. Nim Chimpsky's story was already the subject of Elizabeth Hess's 2008 biography *Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human* and James Marsh's 2011 documentary film *Project Nim*[2]. The meme introduced a younger internet audience to the ethical questions surrounding the study, including the revolving door of untrained caregivers, the use of cattle prods for discipline, and Nim's repeated separation from attachment figures[2]. Terrace's conclusion that Nim was simply performing signs for food rather than engaging in real communication actually makes the meme funnier in context[2]. The phrase everyone finds so amusing was, to Terrace, evidence that the whole project had failed. Nim wasn't constructing a sentence. He was doing the sign language equivalent of hitting every button on a vending machine. ## Fun Facts - Nim Chimpsky's name was a direct pun on Noam Chomsky, the very linguist whose theories the study aimed to disprove[2]. - The study involved about 60 different caregivers over its duration, and Terrace himself was romantically involved with at least two of them[2]. - Nim was born in Oklahoma but raised in a New York City brownstone where his caretaker breastfed him (despite having no milk) and smoked pot with him[2]. - Gabriel Landon's elongated edit of the phrase stretched a five-second clip into eighteen seconds and outperformed the original NPR video in views[1]. - Nim lived until March 10, 2000, spending his final years at the Black Beauty Ranch animal sanctuary in Texas[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Give Orange Me Give Eat Orange Me Eat Orange Give Me Eat Orange Give Me You"? It is the longest recorded sign language phrase produced by a non-human animal, signed by a chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky during a 1970s language study at Columbia University[2]. It became an internet meme for its absurd, repetitive structure[1]. ### Where did the "Give Orange Me" meme come from? The phrase originated from Project Nim, a primate language experiment led by Herbert S. Terrace. It went viral after NPR's Skunk Bear featured it in a 2017 YouTube video about ape communication[1]. ### What does the phrase mean? Nim was trying to ask for an orange. He strung together every sign combination he knew related to eating, giving, and oranges, resulting in a garbled but clearly food-motivated request[2][1]. ### How do you use the "Give Orange Me" meme? The most common format is the ironic deep quote, where users pretend a chimpanzee's words could never make them emotional, then reveal Nim's phrase as the thing that broke them[1]. ### Is the "Give Orange Me" meme still popular? As of 2022, the meme was actively circulating on TikTok as an audio trend. Gabriel Landon's 2020 YouTube edit reached 8.7 million views, and the format still gets occasional use in ironic quote videos[1]. ### Who was Nim Chimpsky? Nim was a chimpanzee born on November 19, 1973, at the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma. He was the subject of a Columbia University study testing whether chimps could learn American Sign Language[2]. ### Why is the chimp named Nim Chimpsky? His name is a pun on Noam Chomsky, the linguist who argued that language ability is uniquely human. The study aimed to challenge that theory[2]. ### Did Nim actually learn to talk? Terrace concluded that Nim did not truly acquire language. Instead, Nim mimicked signs from his caregivers to receive food rewards, without constructing original or meaningful sentences[2]. ### What happened to Nim after the study? After four years, Nim became too difficult to manage and was returned to the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma. He later moved to Black Beauty Ranch and died on March 10, 2000[2]. ### What is the Gabriel Landon edit? On September 22, 2020, YouTube user Gabriel Landon uploaded a version of the NPR clip that artificially extended the phrase from five seconds to eighteen seconds by looping the middle portion, earning over 8.7 million views[1]. ## References 1. [Nim Chimpsky - Wikipedia]() 2. [Give Orange Me / Give Orange Me Give Eat Orange Me Eat Orange Give Me Eat Orange Give Me You - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/give-orange-me-give-orange-me-give-eat-orange-me-eat-orange-give-me-eat-orange-give-me-you Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library