Om Telolet Om

2016catchphrase / viral trenddead

Also known as: #OmTeloletOm · Om Telolet Om Challenge

Om Telolet Om, a 2016 Indonesian catchphrase meaning "sir, honk your horn, sir," went viral when children spammed international EDM DJs' social media with videos of melodic-horned buses.

"Om Telolet Om" is an Indonesian catchphrase meaning "Sir, honk your horn, sir" that exploded into a worldwide viral sensation in December 2016. It started as a roadside game where Indonesian kids cheered for buses with customized melodic horns in Central Java, then broke through to global audiences when those same kids spammed the social media accounts of international EDM DJs until the entire dance music world was tweeting, remixing, and trying to figure out what was happening.

TL;DR

"Om Telolet Om" is an Indonesian catchphrase meaning "Sir, honk your horn, sir" that exploded into a worldwide viral sensation in December 2016.

Overview

The phrase breaks down simply: "om" is an informal Indonesian term for an older man, similar to "uncle" or "sir," while "telolet" is onomatopoeia mimicking the rhythmic sound of modified bus horns1. Indonesian buses, especially long-haul models running Java's highways, often carry customized air horns that play brief melodies instead of a standard honk3. Kids discovered that standing roadside, shouting the phrase or holding cardboard signs reading "Om Telolet Om," could get drivers to blast their horns on demand2. The game was simple but the payoff was loud. And when those kids turned their attention to international celebrities' Twitter accounts, the payoff got even louder.

The craze started in the first half of 2016 along the busy Pantura highway on Java's north coast, a major route for overnight buses crisscrossing the island4. Groups of kids began filming themselves shouting "Om telolet, Om!" at passing buses, hoping drivers would respond with their air horns4. The trend spread locally through copycat videos across the region.

In November 2016, a Facebook video showing children in the town of Jepara, Central Java, waving signs and erupting in cheers when a bus driver honked went massively viral within Indonesia2. The video pulled in over 1.8 million views and more than 45,000 shares2, with Indonesian commenters noting "it's a simple game, but it makes them happy"3. Imitators popped up everywhere. One small town in Central Java gathered many of its residents at the same spot every evening before sundown to shout the phrase in unison at every passing bus4.

Origin & Background

Platform
Facebook (local Indonesian spread), Twitter (global breakout via DJ spam)
Creator
Unknown
Date
2016

The craze started in the first half of 2016 along the busy Pantura highway on Java's north coast, a major route for overnight buses crisscrossing the island. Groups of kids began filming themselves shouting "Om telolet, Om!" at passing buses, hoping drivers would respond with their air horns. The trend spread locally through copycat videos across the region.

In November 2016, a Facebook video showing children in the town of Jepara, Central Java, waving signs and erupting in cheers when a bus driver honked went massively viral within Indonesia. The video pulled in over 1.8 million views and more than 45,000 shares, with Indonesian commenters noting "it's a simple game, but it makes them happy". Imitators popped up everywhere. One small town in Central Java gathered many of its residents at the same spot every evening before sundown to shout the phrase in unison at every passing bus.

How It Spread

Om Telolet Om jumped from Indonesian inside joke to global confusion on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. Indonesian kids had been flooding the social media accounts of international DJs with the phrase in their comment sections and reply threads. Around noon that day, the EDM Twitterverse exploded without warning.

Zedd, Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Marshmello, Bassjackers, Showtek, and Quintino all tweeted the phrase, most with zero context. Oliver Heldens asked "What is 'Om Telolet Om'? When I read it I think of omelet/eggs" before following up with "OM TELOLET OM NO. Let me sleep plz". Laidback Luke posted "What the hell is this Om Toilet Om about?!". Cash Cash reported being spammed with the phrase. Billboard reached out to Zedd for official comment and were told only "huh?".

By the end of that week, the phrase had been used close to 790,000 times on Twitter. It trended worldwide on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Indonesia's massive Twitter user base gave the spam campaign the numbers it needed to break through, but it was the DJs' confused engagement that pushed it over the edge. A dedicated subreddit appeared on Reddit, and the r/trap and r/EDM forums filled with bewildered posts.

DJs didn't just tweet about it. They made music with it. Dutch duo Firebeatz were among the quickest to sample the bus horn sound into a track, posting it to YouTube where it rapidly passed 100,000 views. Dillon Francis followed with his own version. Skrillex incorporated the phrase and horn sounds into his mixes. As Billboard noted, the bus horns bore a natural resemblance to an electronic arpeggiator, making them a surprisingly good fit for EDM production.

How to Use This Meme

The original Om Telolet Om practice is straightforward:

1

Stand by a road where buses with customized horns pass

2

Hold up a cardboard sign reading "Om Telolet Om" or shout the phrase at approaching buses

3

Film the driver's response when they blast their melodic horn

4

Post the video to social media with #OmTeloletOm

Cultural Impact

The meme's global breakout drew fast media coverage. BBC News, Billboard, and NPR all published explainers within days of the December 20 explosion. The Jakarta Post, which had been covering the local trend, suddenly found international audiences reading its reporting.

Life in Color, a paint-and-music concert series in Miami, announced their secret headliner as "Om Tell et Om," leaning into the meme's momentum. Marshmello tweeted a T-shirt design featuring the phrase with the caption "coming soon".

Back in Indonesia, the response was split. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi asked bus drivers to stop honking in response to the trend, citing safety concerns about children gathered near high-traffic areas. He also acknowledged the creativity behind it and floated the idea of an official "Bus Telolet" contest to celebrate the unique horn sounds. Local police in Jepara had already been urging drivers not to honk after "telolet hunters" caused traffic jams. As the #OmTeloletOmChallenge grew more extreme, with participants standing closer to speeding buses, authorities ramped up safety warnings.

The phrase found a lasting home in the mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as a voice line for the character Gatotkaca, and Indonesian singer iMeyMey built a music video around the catchphrase.

Fun Facts

Indonesia had one of the highest numbers of Twitter users in the world at the time, which gave the spam campaign the raw numbers to overwhelm DJs' notifications.

The "telolet" sound varies from bus to bus because drivers customize their horns individually, meaning no two buses sound exactly alike.

5 Seconds of Summer guitarist Michael Clifford said he shouted at a bus after learning what the phrase meant.

The trend morphed from a children's roadside game into an internet challenge where participants filmed themselves in increasingly risky spots near speeding buses.

Derivatives & Variations

Firebeatz remix

— The Dutch DJ duo sampled Indonesian bus horn sounds into a short EDM track that passed 100,000 YouTube views within days of the meme going global[1].

Dillon Francis version

— The American DJ posted his own take, tweeting "BUN UP THE TELOLET" alongside the track[2].

Skrillex mix incorporation

— Skrillex worked the phrase and bus horn samples into his live DJ sets[4].

iMeyMey music video

— Indonesian singer iMeyMey created a full music video built around the Om Telolet Om catchphrase[5].

Mobile Legends voice line

— The mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang added the phrase as a voice line for the character Gatotkaca[5].

"Telolet hunting" videos

— Indonesian enthusiasts traveled the country to find and film buses with the most elaborate custom horn sounds, posting compilations under #OmTeloletOm[4].

Frequently Asked Questions

OmTeloletOm

2016catchphrase / viral trenddead

Also known as: #OmTeloletOm · Om Telolet Om Challenge

Om Telolet Om, a 2016 Indonesian catchphrase meaning "sir, honk your horn, sir," went viral when children spammed international EDM DJs' social media with videos of melodic-horned buses.

"Om Telolet Om" is an Indonesian catchphrase meaning "Sir, honk your horn, sir" that exploded into a worldwide viral sensation in December 2016. It started as a roadside game where Indonesian kids cheered for buses with customized melodic horns in Central Java, then broke through to global audiences when those same kids spammed the social media accounts of international EDM DJs until the entire dance music world was tweeting, remixing, and trying to figure out what was happening.

TL;DR

"Om Telolet Om" is an Indonesian catchphrase meaning "Sir, honk your horn, sir" that exploded into a worldwide viral sensation in December 2016.

Overview

The phrase breaks down simply: "om" is an informal Indonesian term for an older man, similar to "uncle" or "sir," while "telolet" is onomatopoeia mimicking the rhythmic sound of modified bus horns. Indonesian buses, especially long-haul models running Java's highways, often carry customized air horns that play brief melodies instead of a standard honk. Kids discovered that standing roadside, shouting the phrase or holding cardboard signs reading "Om Telolet Om," could get drivers to blast their horns on demand. The game was simple but the payoff was loud. And when those kids turned their attention to international celebrities' Twitter accounts, the payoff got even louder.

The craze started in the first half of 2016 along the busy Pantura highway on Java's north coast, a major route for overnight buses crisscrossing the island. Groups of kids began filming themselves shouting "Om telolet, Om!" at passing buses, hoping drivers would respond with their air horns. The trend spread locally through copycat videos across the region.

In November 2016, a Facebook video showing children in the town of Jepara, Central Java, waving signs and erupting in cheers when a bus driver honked went massively viral within Indonesia. The video pulled in over 1.8 million views and more than 45,000 shares, with Indonesian commenters noting "it's a simple game, but it makes them happy". Imitators popped up everywhere. One small town in Central Java gathered many of its residents at the same spot every evening before sundown to shout the phrase in unison at every passing bus.

Origin & Background

Platform
Facebook (local Indonesian spread), Twitter (global breakout via DJ spam)
Creator
Unknown
Date
2016

The craze started in the first half of 2016 along the busy Pantura highway on Java's north coast, a major route for overnight buses crisscrossing the island. Groups of kids began filming themselves shouting "Om telolet, Om!" at passing buses, hoping drivers would respond with their air horns. The trend spread locally through copycat videos across the region.

In November 2016, a Facebook video showing children in the town of Jepara, Central Java, waving signs and erupting in cheers when a bus driver honked went massively viral within Indonesia. The video pulled in over 1.8 million views and more than 45,000 shares, with Indonesian commenters noting "it's a simple game, but it makes them happy". Imitators popped up everywhere. One small town in Central Java gathered many of its residents at the same spot every evening before sundown to shout the phrase in unison at every passing bus.

How It Spread

Om Telolet Om jumped from Indonesian inside joke to global confusion on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. Indonesian kids had been flooding the social media accounts of international DJs with the phrase in their comment sections and reply threads. Around noon that day, the EDM Twitterverse exploded without warning.

Zedd, Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Marshmello, Bassjackers, Showtek, and Quintino all tweeted the phrase, most with zero context. Oliver Heldens asked "What is 'Om Telolet Om'? When I read it I think of omelet/eggs" before following up with "OM TELOLET OM NO. Let me sleep plz". Laidback Luke posted "What the hell is this Om Toilet Om about?!". Cash Cash reported being spammed with the phrase. Billboard reached out to Zedd for official comment and were told only "huh?".

By the end of that week, the phrase had been used close to 790,000 times on Twitter. It trended worldwide on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Indonesia's massive Twitter user base gave the spam campaign the numbers it needed to break through, but it was the DJs' confused engagement that pushed it over the edge. A dedicated subreddit appeared on Reddit, and the r/trap and r/EDM forums filled with bewildered posts.

DJs didn't just tweet about it. They made music with it. Dutch duo Firebeatz were among the quickest to sample the bus horn sound into a track, posting it to YouTube where it rapidly passed 100,000 views. Dillon Francis followed with his own version. Skrillex incorporated the phrase and horn sounds into his mixes. As Billboard noted, the bus horns bore a natural resemblance to an electronic arpeggiator, making them a surprisingly good fit for EDM production.

How to Use This Meme

The original Om Telolet Om practice is straightforward:

1

Stand by a road where buses with customized horns pass

2

Hold up a cardboard sign reading "Om Telolet Om" or shout the phrase at approaching buses

3

Film the driver's response when they blast their melodic horn

4

Post the video to social media with #OmTeloletOm

Cultural Impact

The meme's global breakout drew fast media coverage. BBC News, Billboard, and NPR all published explainers within days of the December 20 explosion. The Jakarta Post, which had been covering the local trend, suddenly found international audiences reading its reporting.

Life in Color, a paint-and-music concert series in Miami, announced their secret headliner as "Om Tell et Om," leaning into the meme's momentum. Marshmello tweeted a T-shirt design featuring the phrase with the caption "coming soon".

Back in Indonesia, the response was split. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi asked bus drivers to stop honking in response to the trend, citing safety concerns about children gathered near high-traffic areas. He also acknowledged the creativity behind it and floated the idea of an official "Bus Telolet" contest to celebrate the unique horn sounds. Local police in Jepara had already been urging drivers not to honk after "telolet hunters" caused traffic jams. As the #OmTeloletOmChallenge grew more extreme, with participants standing closer to speeding buses, authorities ramped up safety warnings.

The phrase found a lasting home in the mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as a voice line for the character Gatotkaca, and Indonesian singer iMeyMey built a music video around the catchphrase.

Fun Facts

Indonesia had one of the highest numbers of Twitter users in the world at the time, which gave the spam campaign the raw numbers to overwhelm DJs' notifications.

The "telolet" sound varies from bus to bus because drivers customize their horns individually, meaning no two buses sound exactly alike.

5 Seconds of Summer guitarist Michael Clifford said he shouted at a bus after learning what the phrase meant.

The trend morphed from a children's roadside game into an internet challenge where participants filmed themselves in increasingly risky spots near speeding buses.

Derivatives & Variations

Firebeatz remix

— The Dutch DJ duo sampled Indonesian bus horn sounds into a short EDM track that passed 100,000 YouTube views within days of the meme going global[1].

Dillon Francis version

— The American DJ posted his own take, tweeting "BUN UP THE TELOLET" alongside the track[2].

Skrillex mix incorporation

— Skrillex worked the phrase and bus horn samples into his live DJ sets[4].

iMeyMey music video

— Indonesian singer iMeyMey created a full music video built around the Om Telolet Om catchphrase[5].

Mobile Legends voice line

— The mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang added the phrase as a voice line for the character Gatotkaca[5].

"Telolet hunting" videos

— Indonesian enthusiasts traveled the country to find and film buses with the most elaborate custom horn sounds, posting compilations under #OmTeloletOm[4].

Frequently Asked Questions