Limecat

Confirmed 300,107

Part of a series on Cats. [View Related Entries]

About

Limecat is the nickname given to an image of a scowling cat wearing what appears to be a hat carved out of a lime. Since its emergence in the early 2000s, the image has inspired a mythos portraying the cat as the sovereigns of all cats as well as a LOLcat image macro series known as X is Not Amused.

Origin

The cat's identity or its origin remain unclear, but the earliest mention of "Limecat" on record can be found in an Urban Dictionary entry^[1] submitted by user Rodri316 on December 12th, 2003. The description furthermore suggests that the cat had become a well-known character on GameFAQ's LUE discussion forum prior to its submission.

Limecat is the supreme ruler of all cats. His head has a natural beret which strongly resembles a cut-up lime, but is really a symbol of his power. Limecat is usually not pleased with the deeds and words of petty humans, and no one has ever claimed to catch him in a good mood.

The helmet worn by the cat has been long presumed to be made of lime. However, it is most likely a carved pomelo^[2] that is traditionally worn during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese culture, suggesting that the photograph may have originated on the Chinese Internet.

Spread

Limecat appeared in the form of a single serving site^[3] as early as in March 2004, accompanied by the caption reading "Limecat is not pleased."

In the following years, the image continued to spread across internet humor hubsites and communities, earning several other nicknames such as "Meloncat," "General Whiskers" and "Helmet Cat." The first YTMND^[5] tribute to the cat was created by user SethAechi on April 28th, 2004 and dozens of derivative instances were uploaded thereafter, including Limecat's cousin Lemoncat (shown below).

On 4chan^[4], images of Limecat emerged as a notable reaction face used to convey one's disapproval of someone else's post and spawned the LOLcat expression (X) approves / dispparoves this thread.

Encyclopedia Dramatica^[6] describes Limecat as "the ultimate god of cats." The site's successor Oh Internet^[7] highlights Lime Cat as "among the most popular and well-known lolcats."

From Encyclopedia Dramatica:

The ultimate god of cats everywhere. His head is capped by a natural outgrowth known as the "Mystic Rind", which originally was a solid lime. During the epic battle with Clock Spider, several gashes were rent into the lime, creating a bang-like effect. Limecat responded by chewing off the Clock Spider's ninth leg and cast it into the sky, where it became the God of most religions. Limecat is seldom pleased, and only his priests have ever seen him do anything more than frown and glare. He has an illegitimate kitten, Linecat, who is marked by his lack of hair apart from his head and paws.

A reverse image search^[11] for Limecat yields at least 300 matching results, many of which are hosted via non-English websites ranging from Latin American^[13] and European^[14] to Middle Eastern^[10] and East Asian languages.^[9]