What Does "Skilometer" Mean? The Internet Meme, Explained

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Learn all about the British "skilometer" meme & how to use it
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Have you stumbled across the word “Skilometer” online or on social media, but have no idea what it means? We can help. “Skilometer” is actually a slang term for a British (or European) smile, originating from a viral meme. It’s a lighthearted joke about how Americans “smile” because they use the imperial measurement system, while Europeans “skilometer” because they use the metric system. Read on, and in this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the skilometer meme, how it originated, and how to use it!

Skilometer Meme Overview

Skilometer is a viral internet meme and slang term for a British smile. The word combines “smile” and “kilometer” as a joke about how Americans (who measure distance in miles) must smile, while Europeans (who measure distance in kilometers) must “skilometer” instead.

Section 1 of 5:

What does “Skilometer” mean?

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    The made-up word is a combination of “kilometer” and “smile,” meant to be a joke about how British people use the metric system of measurement (which measures distance in kilometers) rather than the imperial measurement system (which measures distance in miles) used by the U.S. [1]
    • Basically, “skilometer” is a silly pun. The joke is that since Americans “s-mile,” Europeans must “s-kilometer” since they measure in kilometers instead!
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Section 2 of 5:

Where does skilometer come from?

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  1. 1
    Skilometer comes from a meme posted to Reddit in 2020. Reddit user u/Awesome_Me_17 posted the first skilometer meme to Reddit’s /r/memes on October 31st, 2020, joking that Europeans “skilometer” instead of “smile” because they use the metric system, not the imperial system. The original skilometer meme has received over 45,000 upvotes in roughly 4 years! [2]
    • The meme features 4 panels; the top 2 depict a cartoon figure yelling, “Smile!” and a crowd of people labeled, “Europeans” looking angry.
    • The bottom 2 panels depict a cartoon figure yelling, “S-kilometer!” followed by the same crowd of people smiling.
  2. 2
    The joke went viral, leading to new memes based on the original. The meme was reposted to 9GAG, where it collected over 11,000 upvotes, and it was posted on Facebook page thelanguagenerds where it earned over 6,200 reactions. By 2022, new memes using the same joke were also being posted in /r/memes and beyond, going viral with tens of thousands of views. For example:
    • One version of the meme features Bella Swan from the Twilight franchise glaring, with the caption “Europeans when someone smiles instead of skilometers.” It was posted in April 2024 by iFunny user genericsadgirl.
    • Another version of the meme features an image from the horror movie, Smile , featuring a character smiling widely and featuring the caption, “TIL that in Europe and Australia, the movie Smile is titled Skilometer.” It was posted in 2023 by Reddit user u/Iambikecurious.
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Use the Skilometer Meme

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    If you want to make a skilometer meme of your own, all you need is a fitting reaction image for the joke. There are tons of different skilometer memes now, mainly because people have paired the joke with their own favorite images—so look for a reaction image that conveys anger, sadness, or disappointment. [3]
    • The negative reaction image is meant to convey how Europeans feel when told to “smile” or realizing they “smile” and not “skilometer.”
  2. 2
    Tell European (and non-American) friends to “skilometer.” If you have friends living in a country that uses the metric system and kilometers rather than miles, you can skip the memes and joke around with them directly! The next time you’re about to tell them to smile, or say that something made you smile, use “skilometer” instead and see if they get the joke!
    • For example, if your friend sends you a funny picture, you could respond playfully and say, “Haha, you really made me skilometer!”
    • Even if your friend doesn’t get the joke right away, just send them a skilometer meme as an explanation.
  3. 3
    Find different ways to phrase and format the skilometer joke. Not only do people use different reaction images; they also rephrase the joke in new and silly versions. So, if you make your own meme, keep in mind that you don’t have to use the original “Smile!” versus “S-kilometer!” meme format. For example, other versions of the meme include:
    • An reaction image paired with a statement like “Europeans when they realize they smile, not skilometer.”
    • An reaction image paired with “Europeans when someone smiles instead of skilometers.”
    • An reaction image paired with “Europeans when their partner smiles, not skilometers.”
    • Basically, you can use "skilometer" like a verb (an action) or noun (for the facial expression), just like you'd use the word "smile." Choose the joke you like best and see what you can do with it!
  4. 4
    Poke fun at American and European differences in a playful way. Remember: this meme is supposed to be lighthearted! It’s not about which system of measurement is better or intended to create arguments between people. So, when you use the skilometer joke, keep things positive and gently teasing. Don’t get mean-spirited!
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Section 4 of 5:

Is skilometer only a British joke?

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  1. Technically, the metric system is used by most of the world’s countries. So, even though skilometer memes mainly mention British people or Europeans, it actually could be used on anyone whose country uses the metric system! You could replace “Europeans” with a different country in a meme, or say “skilometer” to someone from any metric-using country. [4]
Section 5 of 5:

Other Popular Memes

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    Tired of seeing memes and having no idea what they mean (or why they’re funny)? That’s understandable! Luckily, we’ve explained the meaning behind several viral internet and social media memes—so check out the guides below:
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      References

      1. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/skilometer
      2. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/skilometer
      3. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/skilometer
      4. ↑ https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system

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