# I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints

A catchphrase template that pairs the line 'I wouldn't tell anyone I won the lottery, but there will be hints' with an image showing one absurdly expensive upgrade inside an otherwise cheap setting. Starting as a 2021 Instagram image macro over a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles van, it later mutated into a snowclone and powered a 2024 TikTok slideshow trend that pulled in Charlie Puth and Noah Beck.

## Origin
The first known post of the catchphrase went up on May 30th, 2021 on the Instagram page @90stothefuture, which stamped the line in Impact font over a photo of a real street van painted like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vehicle[1]. According to Know Your Meme, the underlying image macro had actually been built earlier on Imgflip by an unknown creator, so the Instagram account was the first to boost it rather than the original author[3]. The next day, the Facebook page Books & Brews reposted a cropped version without the top black bar[3].

The format broke out in early June 2021 when the Facebook page Mexicans Be Like applied the caption to a lobster stuffed into a cup of instant ramen. That post was later deleted, but Instagram user @bharris8379 reposted it on June 11th, 2021 with the Mexicans Be Like watermark still visible in the corner[2].

- **Platform:** Imgflip / Instagram (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2021

## Overview
The joke works by pairing the deadpan line with a visual gag where something cheap or ordinary hides one wildly out of place upgrade. Early examples leaned on cheap food plus luxury seafood, like a whole lobster crammed into a Maruchan ramen cup or a giant squid parked on top of a basic plate[2][4]. Other versions swapped the food setup for consumer stuff, like a man wearing a stack of sunglasses or a bass player who sneaks an extra string onto their instrument[1].

By 2022, the phrase started working as a snowclone, with meme creators swapping 'won the lottery' for whatever secret they wanted to telegraph through small clues[5]. The template keeps the sentence rhythm intact and only swaps the noun, which is why it travels so well across unrelated topics, from religion to fandom to lifestyle hints[1]. The humor lives in the mismatch between the modest promise ('I wouldn't tell anyone') and the obviously loud visual tell.

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints?
It is a catchphrase paired with an image of a small, cheap setup containing one obviously expensive upgrade, like a lobster in a cup of instant ramen[2].

### Where did I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints come from?
The first known post is from Instagram page @90stothefuture on May 30th, 2021, over a photo of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles van, though the underlying image was made earlier on Imgflip by an unknown creator[1][3].

### What does I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints mean?
The joke is that the speaker claims they would keep lottery winnings quiet while the attached image gives away an absurdly loud clue, like one oversized squid on an otherwise plain meal[4].

### How do you use I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints?
Typical use pairs the line with a mismatched image, or swaps the noun as a snowclone (for example, 'found religion'), as @babayagabiscuits did in April 2022[5].

### Is I Wouldn't Tell Anyone I Won The Lottery, But There Will Be Hints still popular?
The template saw its biggest wave on TikTok in February 2024 as a slideshow trend involving Noah Beck, Charlie Puth and others, with some creators pushing back on celebrity participation[6][7].

## References
1. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CPgfofiJPGX/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CPgfofiJPGX/>)
2. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_0uqmhuQg/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_0uqmhuQg/>)
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-wouldnt-tell-anyone-i-won-the-lottery-but-there-will-be-hints](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-wouldnt-tell-anyone-i-won-the-lottery-but-there-will-be-hints>)
4. [https://twitter.com/evvok/status/1482534217297035270](<https://twitter.com/evvok/status/1482534217297035270>)
5. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyhDSMuhPI/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyhDSMuhPI/>)
6. [https://www.tiktok.com/@allison.private4/video/7337176369257876779](<https://www.tiktok.com/@allison.private4/video/7337176369257876779>)
7. [https://www.tiktok.com/@maddybieschke/video/7337866190091554091](<https://www.tiktok.com/@maddybieschke/video/7337866190091554091>)
8. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CRDFlGgjvyr/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CRDFlGgjvyr/>)
9. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CRM4w7TpKJr/](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CRM4w7TpKJr/>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/i-wouldnt-tell-anyone-i-won-the-lottery-but-there-will-be-hints
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library