Clown horns have long been part of circus and slapstick comedy, where a single squeeze could signal a pratfall or a joke falling flat. That toy-like sound carried over into cartoons and later into online video, where short, instantly recognisable effects became shorthand for silliness. On soundboards and in meme edits, the squeak is now used less as a literal circus prop and more as a punchline marker, a quick audio cue that a moment is meant to be laughed at rather than taken seriously.