Om Telolet Om

Om Telolet Om (also known as #OmTeloletOm) is a social media meme that depicts Indonesian youths' excitement when a bus driver honks a modified horn in a rhythmic manner as they pass by. This phenomenon becomes popular after a video was uploaded to social media taken in Jepara, Central Java. The video shows a group of youths standing at the side of a road waiting for a bus to pass by. As the bus comes near them, they will shout “Om Telolet Om”, sometimes when holding a paper with the phrase written on it.

The word om is a term to call an older male. If translated to English, it means “uncle”, but in general, it can also mean “sir”; while telolet on the other hand represents the sound of a bus horn. Most Indonesian buses produce a rhythmatic horn or "telolet" as the name implies; while some simply produce a simple “honk”. In short, when people says: "om, telolet, om", it literally means: "Sir, honk the horn, Sir!" Specifically this shouting is directed mainly to a bus or sometimes even a truck driver. This is also equivalent to the "trucker salute" where children pump their arms as a signal to truckers to blow their airhorns, which is common in Canada, the U.S. and even Europe.

Background

As the Indonesian