Mewing

The internet-popular practice of pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth, supposedly to sharpen the jawline over time.

Origin

Named after British orthodontist John Mew and his son Mike Mew, whose 'orthotropics' theory claims that long-term tongue posture reshapes the facial bones. Mainstream orthodontists are unconvinced, and Mike Mew was struck off the UK dental register in 2024 after a misconduct ruling. None of that has dented the practice online — mewing exploded on TikTok and in the 'looksmaxxing' subculture from the late 2010s onward, especially among teenage boys. A 'mewing gesture' — finger silently traced along the jawline — has become its own meme, used as a signal not to interrupt.

Modern usage

Sometimes earnest (in looksmaxxing forums), mostly ironic everywhere else. 'Just keep mewing' is a stock joke reply for any 'how do I improve myself' question. Pairs with [[looksmaxxing]] and [[glow-up]] in the broader vocabulary of internet-driven self-improvement.

In the wild

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