Noot Noot comes from Pingu, the Swiss stop-motion claymation series that began in 1990 and follows a young penguin whose invented Penguinese language is understood through tone and gesture rather than words. His signature honk became his catchphrase and, as clips circulated online, it was lifted out of the show and turned into a standalone meme sound. It spread through YouTube edits, TikTok videos and reaction clips, where its innocent, mischievous tone works as instant shorthand for cheeky behaviour, and it remains popular because it is recognisable even without any context.