The “Someone Cooked Here” TikTok Trend Is An Ode To Exes

There are a lot of stereotypes out there about young, single men. Jokes about navy bed sheets and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner abound, especially online. But there are some men who don’t fit the mold — and TikTok has a theory why: ex-girlfriends. With the “Someone cooked here” trend, people are showing all the ways the men in their lives have surprised them with knowledge that is typically reserved for women. That may be the main theme of the trend — but it’s not exclusively used by women to talk about men. Others have used the concept more broadly to discuss stereotypes surrounding the person they’re dating, regardless of gender.

A little catchup: The viral sound is a Breaking Bad reference. On the show, when Walter White discovers someone used his lab while he was gone, he says, “Someone cooked here.” On TikTok, the sound (which has been used over 18,000 times) is used similarly to imply that someone was there before you, making their mark. With this trend, that person is usually an ex. It’s basically TikTok’s version of the Taylor Swift lyric: “All of the girls you loved before (ooh) / Made you the one I've fallen for.”

The #someonecookedhere hashtag has over 30 million views, with TikTokers detailing all the ways they knew another SO came before them. Some examples: “When you enter his room and he has four pillows, a throw blanket, and sheets that aren’t navy blue” or “When you ask a guy his favorite Taylor Swift song and he doesn’t say Love Story, Bad Blood, or You Belong With Me.” Basically, it applies to your SO revealing they’ve learned any lesson that only another partner could have taught them.

Apparently, this is a common experience. In the comments sections of these videos, people are sharing their own “Someone cooked here” revelations. “He asked me if I like coffin nails,” one account wrote. Another commented, “he told me what the purpose of setting spray was last night 💔💔💔.”

Here are some of the best “Someone cooked here” TikToks.

Knowing the difference between sitting and standing jeans is a sure sign of someone cooking before you.

Another clear example of cooking? A man correctly understanding the proper application of hair conditioning products.

If he knows to get you snacks when you’re “not hungry,” he’s a keeper — but he also probably learned that lesson somewhere.

Only girlies understand the aesthetic superiority of lowercase-only texts.

Some TikTokers have used the sound to discuss ways people have surprised them in the bedroom.

One TikToker brought up her girlfriend knowing the “knee thing” — a common dry humping move — as proof someone “cooked” before her.

A few men have gotten in on the trend, too.