Little verified information is available about the exact origin of Tillie Steal, so it is best understood as a soundboard clip that has circulated under that name rather than as a widely documented meme. Short named clips like this often gain traction because they are easy to search, share and reuse in edits, and their brevity makes them useful across different kinds of videos. Its continued use appears to come from that practicality: a four-second sound that can add a recognisable beat to a reaction, joke or transition without needing explanation or context.