“Sauce?” is internet shorthand for “What’s the source?”—a quick, casual request to identify the origin of an image, clip, quote, or meme, especially in anime, manga, or doujinshi fandoms. It’s often dropped into the comments with zero punctuation, sometimes accompanied by pleading emojis or desperation-level thirst.

Etymology and Evolution

  • “Sauce” is a corruption of “source,” born from anime and meme forums in the early 2000s.
  • Popularized on 4chan, especially in boards like /a/ (Anime & Manga) and /h/ (Hentai).
  • Originally sarcastic: “Where’s the sauce?” became memeified before becoming legit.

Now? It’s just normal fan-speak.

Where You’ll See It

  • Under anime clips or screenshots: “Sauce?”
  • On doujin panels or spicy art: “sauce pls 🙏”
  • In meme reposts with no credit: “Where’s this from?”
  • On TikTok and Twitter/X: increasingly replaced by reverse image search bots or auto-responders—but the spirit remains.

Usage Etiquette

Want the sauce? Here’s how to ask without getting roasted:

✅ Do:

  • Be polite if it’s niche or NSFW (“Sauce? Thanks in advance.”)
  • Try reverse image search first (don’t be lazy)
  • Use context clues (filenames, watermarks, artist styles)

❌ Don’t:

  • Demand it like you’re entitled (“GIVE SAUCE NOW” = clown emoji incoming)
  • Ask if it’s already been answered (read the thread, my dude)
  • Act shocked when the source is… questionable 😬

Sauce in Fandom Culture

“Sauce” became more than just a question—it’s a shared ritual in anime and meme spaces:

  • A wink-and-nod for internet sleuths
  • A low-key thirst flag
  • A prompt for gatekeeping or generosity, depending on the mood
  • A badge of weeb culture fluency

Even bots have joined the game:

  • SauceNAO, IQDB, AskmrRobot, and others automate the hunt.
  • Some Discord and Reddit bots even link direct source pages or artist profiles.

Beyond Anime

While born in weeb culture, “sauce” has spread:

  • Used for fanart, music, viral memes, TikToks, and even Reddit AMAs
  • Common in NSFW and doujin communities, but also wholesome fandoms
  • Source – The original term, now formal or sarcastic
  • Reverse Image Search – The modern sauce-hunter’s weapon
  • Credit the Artist – Movement tied to sauce culture (especially in fanart reposting)
  • “No Sauce, No Talk” – Meme used when something is posted without the source

Cultural Significance

At heart, asking for sauce is about curiosity, attribution, and fandom connection.

  • It’s shorthand for “I love this. Where’s it from?”
  • It’s a bridge from repost culture to original creators
  • And sometimes… it’s just raw, unfiltered desire to know more

Funny. Iconic. Weirdly poetic.

Sauce is sacred.