What does “hawk tuah” mean? Why is everyone talking about it?

In the wake of a woman’s hilarious response to a street-interview question, the phrase “hawk tuah” is currently all over the internet, with a remix already created.

“You’ve got to give it that ‘hawk tuah’”

Now referred to across social media as “hawk tuah girl”, the woman is one of a number of people who appear in a series of videos recorded by the content creators known as Tim and Dee TV. In clips filmed after dark, in an area apparently brimming with late-night revellers, the interviewers approach party-goers to ask them about their romantic preferences. Tim and Dee TV’s focus seems to be on getting the thoughts of female interviewees.

While there are questions that are a bit more innocent in nature - e.g., “how do you get over a break-up?” and “what’s your biggest red flag in a guy?” - the interviewers’ queries frequently seek to turn the spotlight onto what goes on in the bedroom.

For example, one question asks two women to choose their preferred position for heterosexual intercourse, with two options available: “Would you rather take ‘back shots’ for the rest of your life, or missionary for the rest of your life?” In another video, Tim and Dee TV appear to urge two women to reveal the number of regular sexual partners they currently have, by asking them: “How many have y’all got on your roster?” One of the interviewees seemingly points to the cameraman and says: “I’ll add him on there.”

“Hawk tuah girl”, meanwhile, has become an internet sensation for her answer to the question: “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?” Without missing a beat, she responds, in what sounds like a thick southern drawl: “Oh, you’ve got to give it that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang, you get me?” Standing next to her, her friend is left in stitches.

What does “hawk tuah” mean?

If you have seen the viral video, the expressive manner in which “hawk tuah girl” enunciates the phrase will, in all likelihood, have provided you with as effective a definition as you’ll find. Her delivery makes it very clear that this is an onomatopoeic term that mimics the sound of collecting saliva and spitting it out. Indeed, she even juts her head forward violently while saying “hawk tuah”, as if about to send a volley of discharge into the microphone in front of her. As for “spit on that thang”: you hardly need me to spell out what she’s referring to there.

Unsurprisingly, the phrase “hawk tuah” already boasts a number of entries on the website Urban Dictionary, where the term’s straight-down-the-line definition is, er, fleshed out by a wealth of further context. “[This is] the sound one makes right before spitting on that thang,” writes one unnamed user, who adds: “This move is typically done in bed but is not limited to that location and is usually done in a forceful manner.” Meanwhile, the Urban Dictionary contributor ‘Fiegle Shuffle’ notes that “hawk tuah” is “what a great Father gets for Father’s Day.” In a helpful nod to those who like to employ a varied vocabulary, the user ‘Eraudog’ explains that a possible synonymous term would be “slippery banana”.

“Hawk tuah” memes rife on social media

As well as spawning a full three pages of Urban Dictionary definitions, the “hawk tuah” video has sparked an absolute glut of internet memes. Here is a selection of some of our favourites:

Internet embarks on hunt to find “hawk tuah girl”

In further street-interview footage, “hawk tuah girl” can be seen offering similarly no-holds-barred replies to other questions posed by Tim and Dee TV. Asked how she deals with the end of a romantic relationship, for instance, she quips: “The only way to get over one is to get under another”.

Internet sleuths have, inevitably, set about trying to track down the identity of the unknown woman. As Distractify’s Jamie Lerner points out, though, it may be best to respect her right to remain anonymous.

“It’s likely that the hawk tuah girl never expected the video to go viral and may not want the spotlight,” Lerner says. “They were clearly on a night out, so it’s possible she may not even remember the interaction the rest of us can never forget.”