What Does 'Bite The Curb' Mean And What's The Video? The Gruesome Act Turned TikTok Meme Explained

An edgy phrase called "Bite the curb" is spreading on TikTok right now. People think that this gruesome, sidewalk act is funny.

Originally popularized in a '90s film, "biting the curb" has a long, dark history that people are trying to make light of online. The meme is akin to many pieces of shock media, meant to frighten novice internet users who should not Google the term's meaning. Yet, here you are. So, let's explain.

What Does 'Bite The Curb' Mean?

The phrase "bite the curb" is code for a "curb stomp" which is when an attacker tells their victim to physically bite the corner of a concrete sidewalk curb so that they can break their teeth and jaw with one stomp. Biting the curb often results in death.

Where Does 'Bite The Curb' Come From?

The phrase was coined in the 1998 movie American History X. In one of the opening scenes, the character Derek Vinyard (played by actor Edward Norton) curb stomps a man named Lawrence who tried to steal his car.

Although critically acclaimed, the film deals with some heavy subject matter, namely, racism and bigotry. Vinyard is a neo-Nazi and his act of violence was later copied by real criminals in real hate crimes committed in the 2000s.

What's The 'Bite The Curb' Video?

Recently, internet users think that they've come across a new "bite the curb" video where a man in a red shirt curb stomps another man. The hazy, pixelated footage was recently shared on Twitter / X and gained viral reactions on TikTok.

The video in question was taken sometime during or before 2010. For those who watched it, there's some good news. The video doesn't actually show a curb stomp. Instead, the video's a stunt where one friend smashed the other's head through a tube light bulb, seemingly because of a dare.

What's The 'Bite The Curb' TikTok Meme?

Since the video of the guy with the red shirt surfaced on X, TikTokers have been making countless memes about biting the curb. Why? Because biting the curb is a terrifying thing to imagine. To cope with the horrific hypothetical, internet users are making light of the situation they hope they never face.

A lot of the memes are recreations of biting the curb, using dolls, video game renders and other inanimate objects (like Sour Patch Kids). Others are posting more distressing memes, which imagine that moment when someone says, "Bite the curb."

Like, imagine your attacker says to you, "Bite the curb or go to the TikTok Rizz Party." You're probably gonna go sing "Carnival" with the boys, is what the meme suggests.

For the full history of "Bite the curb," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.