The 5 Best 'What in Tarnation' Memes

Seriously, what in tarnation?

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Updated on 02/13/20

The "What in Tarnation" meme began as many do, with an image of a dog, in this case, a Shiba Inu wearing a cowboy hat. Sometimes it has southern-related captions, such as "sorry, we don't have sweet tea." Other times, the meme involves words that rhyme with tarnation – carnation, taxation, pollination, filtration, formation (Queen Bae) and just about anything that ends in "tion."

What Do 'What in Tarnation' Memes Mean?

Sometimes these memes mean what the heck and other times there's a play on words.

How Are 'What in Tarnation' Memes Used?

Tarnation memes are used to express confusion or anger at a situation or in a silly variation with a rhyming word.

Examples of 'What in Tarnation' Memes

Example #1:
Image: Bee with a cowboy hat on
Text: What in pollination?
Meaning: Bees like memes too. They're just like us.

Example #2:
Image: James Otis, who coined the phrase "taxation without representation is tyranny."
Text: wot in taxation without representation
Meaning: The tarnation of its day.

Example #3:
Image: Cat with a cowboy hat on
Text: When you're home alone and you hear the TV turn on by itself. What in tarnation?
Meaning: Tarnation is the only response to a possessed television.

For even more examples, including links to the originals, check out our full list of the five funniest 'What in Tarnation' memes:

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