# WTF Is This Shit!?

WTF Is This Shit!? is an internet catchphrase paired with image macros of a confused or disapproving character, most famously Annoyed Picard from Star Trek[1]. The phrase first appeared on Flickr in December 2006 and later anchored thousands of Quickmeme submissions, making it one of the go-to reaction formats of the early 2010s[3].

## Origin
The earliest known image macro using the catchphrase was uploaded to Flickr on December 10th, 2006, using the Annoyed Picard screencap from Star Trek[1]. The specific hand gesture in that frame, Picard reaching outward as if gesturing at something off-screen, became the format's signature visual, even though the gesture is not present in every later variant[2].

The original Flickr poster is not identified in available documentation, and the Picard screenshot itself comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation, so the image is a found object, not an original creation[2].

- **Platform:** Flickr (origin) / Quickmeme (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2006

## Overview
WTF Is This Shit!? is a catchphrase slapped onto image macros of a character looking baffled or fed up, typically used to call out a post that is stupid, poorly written, vulgar, or just out of place[2]. The format reads as a more hostile cousin of the softer What Is This I Don't Even reaction, trading confusion for open contempt[2].

The most recognizable version pairs the line with Annoyed Picard, a screen capture of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard throwing an exaggerated open-handed gesture at the camera[1]. That gesture, half shrug and half accusation, became a defining visual cue for the format, though plenty of knockoffs drop Picard entirely and reuse the caption with other confused faces[2]. Urban Dictionary logged early definitions of the phrase, flagging it as shorthand for not understanding something, whether a math problem, a magnet, or any other baffling input[4].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is WTF Is This Shit!??
It is an internet catchphrase used in image macros, typically paired with a confused or disapproving character like Annoyed Picard, to signal that another post is dumb, badly written, or out of place[2].

### Where did WTF Is This Shit!? come from?
The earliest known use in an image macro was a Flickr upload from December 10th, 2006 featuring Annoyed Picard from Star Trek[1].

### What does WTF Is This Shit!? mean?
It expresses incredulous disapproval or confusion about something, functioning as a harsher version of the What Is This I Don't Even reaction[2]. Urban Dictionary also logs it as general-purpose shorthand for not understanding something[4].

### How do you use WTF Is This Shit!??
Pair the caption with an image of a confused or exasperated character, often Annoyed Picard with his outstretched hand, and aim it at whatever stupid or vulgar post you want to call out[2].

### Is WTF Is This Shit!? still popular?
The Annoyed Picard-based format saw its heaviest activity on Quickmeme in 2012, when its two dedicated pages accumulated over 8,000 submissions, and it is treated as a classic early image macro rather than a currently trending template[3][5].

## References
1. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/70805309@N00/319047856/](<https://www.flickr.com/photos/70805309@N00/319047856/>)
2. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wtf-is-this-shit](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wtf-is-this-shit>)
3. [http://www.quickmeme.com/Annoyed-Picard/](<http://www.quickmeme.com/Annoyed-Picard/>)
4. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=WTF%20is%20this%20shit%3F](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=WTF%20is%20this%20shit%3F>)
5. [http://www.quickmeme.com/Annoyed-Picard-HD/](<http://www.quickmeme.com/Annoyed-Picard-HD/>)

---
Source: https://meme.com/memes/wtf-is-this-shit
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library