Meaning
What does Knifey Spoony mean?
Knifey Spoony is the name of a fictional Australian game of comparing the length of knife blades, with the longer one winning.
A player may also produce a spoon, that – if not identified by the opponent – beats the knife. However, if the spoon is noticed to be a spoon, then the person producing it loses.
The game comes from “The Simpsons” and is presented as an Aussie equivalent of rock, paper, scissors.
“Knifey Spoony” became popular among fans of the series, as the game was a reference to a memorable scene from Crocodile Dundee; That’s Not a Knife.
Origin
What's the origin of Knifey Spoony?
The name comes from the season 6 episode 16 of “The Simpsons”, in which Bart goes to Australia and gets a pocket knife to carve his name on the bar table, to which a local approaches him with a spoon.
The scene is a reference to the 1986 comedy, Crocodile Dundee where the protagonist is almost mugged, but intimidates the robber with a massive hunting knife.
Spread & Usage
How did Knifey Spoony spread?
“Knifey Spoony” later inspired memes, GIFs, and social media posts, that reference the game, further propelling its popularity.
Urban Dictionary had written an article on the activity in 2004, for the first time, with a bunch of other entries describing the game being uploaded over the years.
Online, the gag has been referenced by musicians, artists, as well as memers, on sites like YouTube, DeviantArt or SoundCloud.
External resources
- Urban Dictionary – Knifey-Spoony