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As I understand it, the memes used in the fansubbed version of Steins;Gate
were adapted for English audience. The Japanese audience would not know the
"Yo Dawg" meme, for instance, since it is an English based meme. They would
have their own set of memes, which they could have used in the original
dialogue. Of course, it could be that their lines weren't memes at all.

What are the original Japanese memes that were mentioned throughout the
series, if there are any, and what's their context?


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culture steins-gate meme
What are the original memes mentioned in Steins;Gate?


Some of the phrases are explained at the Steins;Gate wiki's [Real-Life
References](http://steins-gate.wikia.com/wiki/Real-world_References) and
[Glossary](http://steins-gate.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_Glossary).

Regarding the phrase「エル・プサイ・コングルゥ」(El Psy Congroo), according to [Anime News
Network](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=9941),
[FutureGadgetLab](https://twitter.com/FutureGadgetLab) is the anime's official
Twitter account. According to a
[tweet](https://twitter.com/FutureGadgetLab/status/4125656912760833) by
FutureGadgetLab, Okabe Rintarou (lab member #1) explains it as
「お前の胸の中にあるもの。それが答えだ。俺の中ではKONGROOが正しい。『俺の中では』な。《001》」, which you could
translate as "It's something that's in your heart. That's my answer. When it's
inside me, KONGROO is right. 'When it's inside myself,' y'know." So either the
author is being intentionally obtuse (i.e., writing in character), or there is
not a specific meaning for it, or the author of the tweet (whoever at the
company was assigned to manage the Twitter feed by posting as the various lab
members) didn't know what the meaning is.
[next_tales](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1381253833)'s
answer given at Yahoo Japan's 知恵袋 ( _chiebukuro_ , bag full of wisdom) website
also says that there is a notation stating that the phrase has no meaning in
the 『ＳＴＥＩＮＳ；ＧＡＴＥ─シュタインズゲート─ 円環連鎖のウロボロス』 (Closed Chain of Ouroboros) novel. It
does not seem like Japanese fans know the meaning and it is not a general meme
in Japanese society. According to the
[ネット王子](http://netyougo.com/an/3125.html) ( _Netto Ouji_ , Net Prince)
website, the phrase has no meaning but _as a result_ of its use in this
series, it has become an internet meme used by Japanese people in their online
communications. So to boil that all down, 「エル・プサイ・コングルゥ」 wasn't a preexisting
meme used by Steins;Gate, but it became a real meme as a result of
Steins;Gate. (Though it is not a meme, the use of Dr. Pepper in Steins;Gate
likewise pushed the soda into popularity in Japan [I can actually find it in a
vending machine here in Hokkaido now, all thanks to Hououin Kyouma, but see
these links: [1](http://blog.livedoor.jp/geek/archives/51247510.html)
[2](http://seventhstyle.com/2011/06/08/dr-pepper-drink-of-intellectuals-in-
japan/) [3](http://seventhstyle.com/2011/06/29/dr-peppers-derranged-
steinsgate-fans/)]).

I'd love to hear further answers to this thread's question.


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There's references to 2chan if I remember correctly, which weirdly enough they
just called image boards in the dub instead of 4chan as you'd expect. Also
there were tons of cross culture references to star wars and other movies.
Also memes (is it really?) of "all your base belong to us" which I don't know
if it is a Japanese meme as well.


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I can answer
[this](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wep5_RRYxbk?rel=0&showinfo=0&autoplay=1&modestbranding=0&vq=hd1080&end=3)
particular meme.

Fansub: "Yo, I heard you like fail, so we put some fail in your fail, so you
can facepalm while you facepalm."  
Original: "Dame da koitsu, hayaku nantoka shinai to"  
..which translates to something along the lines of "This guy is hopeless, I
have to do something about him quickly."

This is a reference to the 2006 anime [Death
Note](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjm4149Ywpw&start=634).

Specifically from episode 12 around half way into the episode. This saying
turned into a meme back in those days, just like the "Keikaku means plan"
thing did in the English speaking world.


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Concerning **'El Psy Kongroo'** , while its meaning hasn't been clarified in
the anime or by the production team, I think it probably originated from the
Danish phrase **'pest eller kolera'** , which means 'a choice between two
undesirable options'. Recall that in the anime, Okabe Rintarou had to make a
choice between the α and the β worldlines, a choice between letting one of
Mayuri or Christina dies. The writers of the anime probably remembered the
Danish phrase, replaced each word by a Greek/Latin sounding one, and
rearranged the word order from PEK to EPK to obtain 'El Psy Kongroo'.


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