What is Om Nom Nom Nom?

Om Nom Nom Nom is an onomatopoeic phrase representing the sound of enthusiastic eating. It originated from Cookie Monster's eating sounds on Sesame Street and became a popular internet meme through lolcat image macros.

Where did Om Nom Nom Nom come from?

The phrase traces back to Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, created by Jim Henson in 1966. It first appeared online on Urban Dictionary on December 19, 2004, defined as the sound made when eating something delicious.

What does Om Nom Nom Nom mean?

Om Nom Nom Nom describes ravenous, enthusiastic eating without regard to cleanliness or etiquette. It suggests such enjoyment of food that proper manners are abandoned.

How do you use Om Nom Nom Nom?

The phrase typically captions images or videos of animals, people, or characters eating food. It can be repeated multiple times for effect, as in "nom nom nom nom," and often appears in lolcat-style image macros.

Is Om Nom Nom Nom still popular?

Om Nom Nom Nom is considered a classic meme from the late 2000s internet era. It was immortalized in Team Fortress 2's Heavy character eating sounds in 2008 and Parry Gripp's viral 2009 music video, cementing its place in meme history.

Om Nom Nom Nom

2004catchphraseclassic

Published September 18, 2026

Om Nom Nom Nom is an onomatopoeic phrase for the sound of eating, popularized through lolcat image macros in 2007 after originating from Cookie Monster's iconic eating sounds on Sesame Street. The expression became a staple of early internet culture, spreading through single-topic blogs and eventually being immortalized in video games and viral music videos.

catchphrase memes lolcat memes late 2000s memes onomatopoeia memes food memes

Overview

Om Nom Nom Nom functions as an onomatopoeic expression for enthusiastic eating, typically captioning images of animals, people, or characters devouring food. The phrase can stand alone or be repeated for comedic effect, with common variations including "nom nom nom," "om nom," and endless chains of "noms"1.

The expression works by suggesting the subject is eating with such gusto that proper etiquette goes out the window. Image macros using the phrase often feature animals mid-bite, characters stuffing their faces, or absurdist scenarios where something unexpected is being "eaten"2. The humor lies in the childlike simplicity of reducing any eating action to this universal sound.

Beyond static images, the phrase became recognizable enough to appear in video games and music. The sound effect carries an inherent silliness that made it perfect for early internet humor, where juvenile wordplay and exaggerated expressions thrived3.

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Origin & Background

Platform

Sesame Street / Urban Dictionary (online spread)

Date

2004

The expression traces its roots to Cookie Monster from the children's television series Sesame Street, a character created by American puppeteer Jim Henson in 1966. When devouring plates of cookies, the character would make distinctive eating sounds that listeners interpreted as "om nom nom"2.

The phrase first appeared in its internet form on Urban Dictionary on December 19, 2004, submitted by users Tom and Jana. They defined "om nom" as an onomatopoeic adjective describing the sound emitted when something is "oh so tasty" that one eats it without regard to cleanliness or etiquette1.

How It Spread

The earliest known usage of "nom nom" as an image caption appeared on ICanHasCheezburger on May 2nd, 2007. The lolcat featured a cat posing next to a birthday cake with the caption "nom nom nom / nooo it are my birthday," establishing the phrase within lolcat culture2.

On August 6th, 2007, the domain for OmNomNomNom.com was registered as a single-topic blog featuring image macros captioned with variations of the expression. The following year brought mainstream gaming recognition when Valve released an update for Team Fortress 2 on August 19th, 2008, introducing the Sandvich item. The Heavy character would make "om nom nom" sounds while eating, and the accompanying "Meet the Sandvich" video featured a "Copyright OMNOMNOM" joke in its opening credits3 4.

On February 27th, 2009, Parry Gripp, lead singer of pop punk band Nerf Herder, uploaded a music video titled "Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom" to YouTube. The video featured footage of various pets eating and accumulated over 19 million views within four years2 5.

Timeline

1966

Cookie Monster character created by Jim Henson for Sesame Street, establishing the "om nom nom" eating sound in popular culture

2004-12-19

First known online appearance of "om nom" submitted to Urban Dictionary

2007-05-02

Earliest known lolcat image macro using "nom nom nom" caption posted to ICanHasCheezburger

2007-08-06

OmNomNomNom.com domain registered as a single-topic blog for the phrase

2008-08-19

Team Fortress 2 Heavy Update released, including Sandvich item with "om nom nom" eating sounds and "Meet the Sandvich" video featuring "Copyright OMNOMNOM" joke

2009-02-27

Parry Gripp uploads "Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom" music video to YouTube, later reaching over 19 million views

How to Use This Meme

The phrase typically captions photos or videos where someone or something is eating. Add "nom nom nom" or "om nom nom" to any image of enthusiastic food consumption. Repeat the phrase for extra comedic effect. The format works best with animals, cartoon characters, or humans caught mid-bite. You can also use variations like "nom nom nom nooo" to suggest the food is being taken away.