# Things To Say

Things To Say is a series of ironic hustle culture image macros that list intentionally bad advice for what to say to specific people, from a partner's father to a job interviewer. The format launched on TikTok in mid-August 2026 and became one of the platform's dominant joke templates of late summer.

## Origin
On August 17, 2026, TikTok user @cawkringinvestor[1] posted the earliest widely shared entry in the format, titled 'Things to say after cracking' and framed as post-sex banter suggestions. According to Know Your Meme, the video collected over 1.7 million views in the following month, establishing both the layout and the ironic-advice tone that later posts copied[3].

- **Platform:** TikTok (Instagram Reels for later spread)
- **Creator:** @cawkringinvestor
- **Date:** 2026

## Overview
The Things To Say format pairs a headshot or reference image, often a celebrity or a movie character, with a bulleted list of increasingly absurd one-liners the viewer is supposedly meant to deliver in that situation[3]. The humor lands because the suggestions are the opposite of good advice, delivered with the straight-faced cadence of a self-help TikTok.

Variations lean on universally awkward encounters: meeting a partner's parents, sitting for a job interview, seeing a doctor, closing a sales call[2]. The list format keeps posts skimmable while the mismatch between the confident presentation and the obviously ruinous suggestions carries the punchline.

## How to Use
Creators typically pick a target situation, a job interview, a first date, dinner with in-laws, attach a matching headshot or archetype image, and post a list of deadpan lines that would obviously sabotage the interaction[2].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Things To Say?
A TikTok and Instagram Reels format that lists intentionally bad things to say in a specific social situation, presented as sincere advice[3].

### Where did Things To Say come from?
TikTok user @cawkringinvestor posted the earliest widely shared version on August 17, 2026, titled 'Things to say after cracking'[1].

### What does Things To Say mean?
The name refers to the template itself, a list of lines you're supposedly meant to deliver to a specific person like a boss, an in-law or a doctor, where every line would blow up the encounter[2].

### How do you use Things To Say?
Pick a target audience, attach a headshot or character image, and post a list of deadpan lines that would obviously sabotage the interaction[4].

### Is Things To Say still popular?
As of September 2026, the format is trending on TikTok and Instagram Reels, with new versions reaching hundreds of thousands to millions of views[6].

## References
1. [https://www.tiktok.com/@cawkringinvestor](<https://www.tiktok.com/@cawkringinvestor>)
2. [https://www.tiktok.com/@therealuncle1](<https://www.tiktok.com/@therealuncle1>)
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/things-to-say](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/things-to-say>)
4. [https://www.tiktok.com/@richhomiethugger2867](<https://www.tiktok.com/@richhomiethugger2867>)
5. [https://www.instagram.com/jack_sonsm48/](<https://www.instagram.com/jack_sonsm48/>)
6. [https://www.instagram.com/_thebayharborbutcher/](<https://www.instagram.com/_thebayharborbutcher/>)
7. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Things%20To%20Say](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Things%20To%20Say>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/things-to-say
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library