<p>The head punching and tongue sticking out makes me think the "teehee" is a translation of てへぺろ ("tehepero"), which has a literal meaning of "teehee tongue-sticking-out". It actually has a recent history as a word in its own right: <a href="http://bangin.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/%E3%81%A6%E3%81%B8%E3%81%BA%E3%82%8D-tehepero%E0%B9%91%E2%89%A7%E0%B1%AA%E2%89%A6%E3%81%A6%E3%81%B8%E3%81%BA%E3%82%8D/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this blog post</a> and <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/03/03-1/vocab-lesson-strange-yet-cute-tehepero-teaser-website-appears" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this crunchyroll news article</a> have some information about it. </p>

<p>Basically, it's the word that goes with teehee+punching head+tongue sticking out, and the meaning is primarily focused on definition 3) that Omega posted - it sweeps under the rug a mistake or ignorance of the speaker with a playful gesture. A Japanese source for this meaning is <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/seiyumemo/archives/7022095.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this scan of an article about tehepero being Japanese neologism of the year</a>, although the expression is likely related to peko-chan (see <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/">What is the origin of this facial expression with one&#39;s tongue sticking out?</a>).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-15T04:59:08.087Z
2013-12-16T02:50:05.890Z
2017-04-13T12:54:48.953Z
Mark S.
<p>I don't think that it is of japanese origin though.</p>

<p><em>Teehee</em> is just a cute giggle, pretty common internet slang. More on it can be found at the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Teehee&amp;defid=788143" rel="noreferrer">Urban Dictionary</a>, mainly</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The sound of a giggle. Used by (1) schoolgirls and (2) old geezers
  pretending to be schoolgirls.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Defintion: 1)The act of joyful giggling. 2)A noise made to convey
  happiness 3)Presented to imply innocence</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-10T08:34:33.687Z
2013-12-10T08:34:33.687Z
Saturn
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1HlqV.png" alt=":p"></p>

<p>I'm sure most of you know this phrase, what does it mean? Does it represent stupidity cutey thing that they do? What makes this phrase so popular?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-10T20:27:03.350Z
The instance from *Oregairu* above is likely [a reference to  Peko-chan](http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/what-is-the-origin-of-this-facial-expression-with-ones-tongue-sticking-out), which is very common in modern anime.
Logan M
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-11T17:39:57.877Z
http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/what-is-the-origin-of-this-facial-expression-with-ones-tongue-sticking-out/3003#3003
Toshinou Kyouko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T00:21:54.917Z
Meta discussion at http://meta.anime.stackexchange.com/questions/766/are-these-two-tongue-sticking-out-questions-really-duplicates
Logan M
<tropes>
What does the "teehee" expression mean?
# What does the "teehee" expression mean?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-12-10
![:p](https://i.sstatic.net/1HlqV.png)

I'm sure most of you know this phrase, what does it mean? Does it represent stupidity cutey thing that they do? What makes this phrase so popular?
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The instance from *Oregairu* above is likely [a reference to  Peko-chan](http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/what-is-the-origin-of-this-facial-expression-with-ones-tongue-sticking-out), which is very common in modern anime.  
> **username_2**: http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/what-is-the-origin-of-this-facial-expression-with-ones-tongue-sticking-out/3003#3003  
> **username_1**: Meta discussion at http://meta.anime.stackexchange.com/questions/766/are-these-two-tongue-sticking-out-questions-really-duplicates  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_4 on 2013-12-10. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
I don't think that it is of japanese origin though.

*Teehee* is just a cute giggle, pretty common internet slang. More on it can be found at the [Urban Dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Teehee&defid=788143), mainly

> The sound of a giggle. Used by (1) schoolgirls and (2) old geezers
> pretending to be schoolgirls.

and

> Defintion: 1)The act of joyful giggling. 2)A noise made to convey
> happiness 3)Presented to imply innocence
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2013-12-15. Score: 9
The head punching and tongue sticking out makes me think the "teehee" is a translation of てへぺろ ("tehepero"), which has a literal meaning of "teehee tongue-sticking-out". It actually has a recent history as a word in its own right: [this blog post](http://bangin.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/%E3%81%A6%E3%81%B8%E3%81%BA%E3%82%8D-tehepero%E0%B9%91%E2%89%A7%E0%B1%AA%E2%89%A6%E3%81%A6%E3%81%B8%E3%81%BA%E3%82%8D/) and [this crunchyroll news article](http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/03/03-1/vocab-lesson-strange-yet-cute-tehepero-teaser-website-appears) have some information about it.

Basically, it's the word that goes with teehee+punching head+tongue sticking out, and the meaning is primarily focused on definition 3) that Omega posted - it sweeps under the rug a mistake or ignorance of the speaker with a playful gesture. A Japanese source for this meaning is [this scan of an article about tehepero being Japanese neologism of the year](http://blog.livedoor.jp/seiyumemo/archives/7022095.html), although the expression is likely related to peko-chan (see [What is the origin of this facial expression with one's tongue sticking out?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2995/)).
---
