What Does It Mean to ‘Want Someone’s Nachos’? A Guide to Social Media’s Favorite New Meme

If you logged onto social media at any point over the last few weeks and quickly became perplexed at the rampant use of the word “nachos,” let me assure you that you’re not alone; the nachos meme is quickly approaching “demure” levels of ubiquity. But if you don’t know the term or where it came from, it’s easy to imagine that everyone online is simply talking about their specific preference in sporting-event snack food. Below, find a full guide to what it means to “want someone’s nachos”—as well as how the idea evolved to encompass an array of spinoff memes.

What is the “nachos” meme about?

To “want someone's nachos” is, essentially, to want what they have. Simple and easy to understand, right? (Now try explaining it to a boomer!)

How did the “nachos” meme originate?

According to KnowYourMeme (the preeminent social-media chronicle of our time), the “nachos” meme comes from the reality show Baddies West; in 2023, a clip went viral of one cast member quite literally eyeing another’s plate of nachos, with the caption “you can tell natalie lowkey wanted stunna girls nachos.”

Which pop stars is the “nachos” meme most closely associated with?

Like all good things, this meme arguably began with Beyoncé. An eagle-eyed X user posted a gif of the Cowboy Carter singer sitting behind Dua Lipa at the 2024 Grammys with the caption, “You can tell beyonce lowkey wanted dua‘s nachos.”

What does it mean to “reheat someone’s nachos”?

This is where the indefatigable ingenuity of the gay internet comes into play. While the original phrase simply referred to coveting what another person (usually a celebrity) is in possession of, fans quickly coined the more critical term “reheating someone’s nachos” to describe trying to copy or co-opt someone else’s body of work or personal charisma.

Follow me along this thought exercise: If, say, Tate McRae were to release an album with a concept that felt perilously close to Lady Gaga’s Mayhem, she would be guilty of wanting and, indeed, reheating Gaga’s nachos. Et voila!