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The Hilarious History Of The "Dry The Wets" Meme: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Viral Phrase

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The phrase "Dry The Wets" has become a bizarre, yet enduring, piece of internet slang, confusing millions who stumble upon it while simultaneously delighting those in the know. As of December 19, 2025, this seemingly nonsensical command continues to circulate across social media platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter), proving the longevity of truly absurd online humor.

The meme is not a simple image macro but a linguistic phenomenon, a cryptic instruction that has evolved from a single viral tweet into a multi-layered inside joke. Its meaning ranges from a literal, almost philosophical principle to a specific, and very funny, instruction for preparing a certain type of food. Understanding "Dry The Wets" requires peeling back the layers of its strange, four-year-plus history.

The Complete Biography of a Viral Phrase: From 2019 Tweet to 2025 Trend

The "Dry The Wets" meme is best understood as part of a longer, more complex phrase: "First you wet the drys then you dry the wets rewet your died wets last ol." This full quote, which often appears truncated, is the core text that launched the entire trend.

  • Birth Date: The phrase first gained viral traction in 2019 with a specific tweet that was repeatedly shared.
  • Core Identity: It is intrinsically linked to the internet slang "Dust My Wets."
  • Primary Meaning (Culinary): The phrase "Dust My Wets" is a comedic and absurd way of describing the act of grating cheese—the "dust"—onto a plate of pasta—the "wets." The longer phrase, "wet the drys, then dry the wets," is a nonsensical extension of this culinary joke.
  • Meme Format: It is primarily a text-based meme, often used as a caption, a response, or a confusing piece of advice to bewilder the uninitiated.
  • Peak Resurgence: The phrase saw a significant resurgence in 2024, appearing in new contexts, including an Imgur post in May 2024, demonstrating its continued relevance.
  • Entities & Concepts: Viral Tweet, Internet Slang, Dust My Wets, Cheese Grating, Pasta Preparation, Know Your Meme, Social Media Trend, Linguistic Absurdity, Inside Joke.

The joke’s power lies in its deliberate lack of context. When seen outside the "Dust My Wets" framework, it sounds like an ancient, esoteric piece of wisdom or a paradoxical life rule, which adds to its comedic value and widespread shareability.

1. The Secret Culinary Origin: It’s All About the Cheese

The most crucial piece of information for decoding the "Dry The Wets" meme is its direct and inseparable connection to the phrase "Dust My Wets." The entire meme complex is a surrealist commentary on food preparation and internet culture.

The term "Dust My Wets" is the key to the entire operation. It is a piece of internet slang that comically describes the process of adding grated cheese to pasta. The pasta is considered the "wets" because it is moist, and the cheese is the "dust."

The extended, confusing phrase—"First you wet the drys then you dry the wets"—is a satirical take on overly complicated cooking or a deliberately confusing 'secret' instruction for the cheese-grating ritual. It pokes fun at the idea of having complex, hidden steps for a simple action. This culinary entity is a favorite among those who enjoy absurdist humor and deep-fried meme aesthetics.

The original viral post, which is the foundational text of the meme's biography, was shared countless times, cementing the "wet the drys, dry the wets" sequence as a canonical piece of internet scripture. This demonstrates how a simple piece of food slang can morph into a widespread, multi-platform phenomenon.

2. The Literal and Philosophical Interpretations

Beyond the joke about pasta, the phrase has gained topical authority by being applied to a wide range of literal and philosophical contexts. People on platforms like Reddit often treat the phrase as a piece of universal, albeit vague, life advice.

The Dermatological Principle

One of the most common non-culinary applications of the phrase is in the field of dermatology. The principle "If it's wet, dry it. If it's dry, wet it" is a fundamental rule in skin care. The meme's text, "dry the wets," aligns perfectly with the first half of this professional medical advice.

For example, a weeping rash (wet) needs a drying agent, while dry, scaly skin (dry) needs a moisturizing agent (wet). This unexpected, real-world parallel gives the meme a layer of accidental genius, transforming internet absurdity into practical, life-applicable knowledge. This specific interpretation is a key entity in the meme's evolution, connecting it to the concepts of medical advice and technical truth.

The Universal Principle of Balance

The structure of the phrase itself—a back-and-forth, cyclical instruction—lends itself to a philosophical interpretation. The sequence "wet the drys, then dry the wets" can be seen as a commentary on the search for balance and equilibrium in life.

  • Life Application: The phrase suggests a perpetual cycle of correction and adjustment. When something is lacking (dry), you add to it (wet it). When something is in excess (wet), you reduce it (dry it).
  • Conceptual Entities: The meme touches on concepts like Equilibrium, Paradoxical Wisdom, Process of Correction, and Universal Balance. This deep-seated, yet unintentionally profound, reading is what keeps the phrase from fading, as users continually find new ways to apply its logic to complex situations.

3. The Meme’s Evolution and 2025 Relevance

For a meme that originated in 2019, its continued relevance into 2025 is a testament to its cryptic nature and adaptability. Unlike visual memes that quickly become dated, the text-based nature of "Dry The Wets" allows it to be easily repurposed.

The Rise of "Technically the Truth"

The meme thrives in communities dedicated to "technically the truth" content. When someone posts a literal interpretation, such as a photo of wet clothes being dried, the phrase acts as a perfectly literal, yet still funny, commentary. This technical truth aspect is a powerful driver of its continued circulation on platforms like Reddit's r/technicallythetruth subreddit.

Adaptation Across Subcultures

The phrase has been adopted and adapted by various online subcultures, including:

  • Gaming: Used to describe cyclical processes in strategy games, such as building resources (wetting the drys) and then spending them (drying the wets).
  • Cooking/Baking: Applied to the actual process of mixing wet and dry ingredients, where the science behind mixing matters.
  • Code Development: A humorous antithesis to the "Don't Repeat Yourself" (DRY) principle, with some developers joking about a "Write Everything Twice" (WET) approach.

The ability of the phrase to transcend its original culinary joke and become a generic, all-purpose piece of absurd advice ensures its longevity. Its power lies in its ability to be both an obscure inside joke and a universally applicable, paradoxical statement on the nature of things.

The "Dry The Wets" meme is a perfect example of how internet culture can take a simple, silly concept—grating cheese on pasta—and turn it into a multi-faceted cultural entity. It is a viral tweet, a piece of culinary slang, a dermatological rule, and a philosophical maxim all rolled into one confusing, yet brilliant, phrase. Its continued use in 2025 confirms its status as a foundational piece of modern internet lore.

The Hilarious History of the
dry the wets meme
dry the wets meme

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