# Skilometer
Skilometer welds 'smile' and 'kilometer' into a one-word jab at British and European use of the metric system, usually written as 'Europeans when you smile instead of skilometer.' u/Awesome_Me_17 posted the first known version to /r/memes on October 31, 2020, and the wordplay resurfaced through 2024 iFunny and X edits using Twilight's Bella Swan.
## Origin
On October 31, 2020, Reddit user u/Awesome_Me_17 posted an image to /r/memes captioned 'Europeans when you smile instead of skilometer,' under the title 'don't know if it's done before'[1]. The post reached over 45,000 upvotes in the following four years and condensed a running imperial-vs-metric bit into a single invented verb[4].
- **Platform:** Reddit
- **Creator:** u/Awesome_Me_17
- **Date:** 2020
## Overview
A standard Skilometer post pairs a reaction image of a startled European character with the caption 'Europeans when you smile instead of skilometer,' turning 'smile' into a fake unit of distance that metric users would supposedly rename[1]. The gag relies on the premise that someone from a metric country would reflexively convert any English word containing 'mile' into its kilometer equivalent, even when the word has nothing to do with measurement.
Over time, the caption fit many reaction formats, from blank crowd photos to specific pop-culture characters[4]. One widely reposted 2024 version used a close-up of Bella Swan from Twilight staring in shock, with the line laid on top[6]. Creators change the reacting character while leaving the caption intact, since the whole joke sits in the one invented word.
## How to Use
Make a Skilometer post by captioning a reaction image of a startled European character with 'Europeans when you smile instead of skilometer.' Common swaps include cartoon or film characters standing in for the European reactor, while the caption usually stays intact. Variants work best when the chosen image already reads as shocked or confused.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Skilometer?
A wordplay meme fusing 'smile' and 'kilometer,' used in jokes about Europeans or British people using the metric system instead of American imperial units[1].
### Where did Skilometer come from?
u/Awesome_Me_17 posted the first known version to /r/memes on October 31, 2020, where it reached over 45,000 upvotes within four years[1].
### What does Skilometer mean?
It is an invented verb mashing 'smile' with 'kilometer,' based on the running bit that metric users would convert any English word with 'mile' in it[4].
### How do you use Skilometer?
Typical posts caption a reaction image of a European character with 'Europeans when you smile instead of skilometer,' swapping the character while keeping the punchline fixed[6].
### Is Skilometer still popular?
The joke saw fresh posts as recently as May 2024, when @Havoc_Six reposted an iFunny edit on X[7], so the format stayed in semi-active use beyond its 2020 debut.
## References
1. [https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/comments/jlhas1/dont_know_if_its_done_before/]()
2. [https://9gag.com/gag/aO7OYjD]()
3. [https://www.facebook.com/thelanguagenerds/photos/a.1497947636987000/3609723499142726/?type=3]()
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/skilometer]()
5. [https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/comments/siji9p/damm_it/]()
6. [https://br.ifunny.co/picture/europeans-when-someone-smiles-instead-of-skilometers-i-zAmMpflOB#comments]()
7. [https://twitter.com/Havoc_Six/status/1786534361845702906]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/skilometer
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library