What does ‘no borax no glue’ mean on TikTok?

If you’ve been scrolling through your For You Page on TikTok recently, you might have stumbled across the phrase “no borax no glue.” Here’s everything to know about what it means.

Over the years, short-form video platform TikTok has become a breeding ground for viral phrases, trends, and slang that often leave those outside its community puzzled.

One of the latest slang phrases to garner traction on TikTok is ‘no borax no glue,’ which has also been spread across other social media apps, including Twitter and Instagram.

You might have encountered this term while scrolling through your For You Page, as it often pops up in videos and captions. If you’re out of the loop, here’s everything you need to know about what it means and when it’s used.

‘No borax no glue’ meaning on TikTok

On TikTok, the phrase “no borax no glue” indicates that something you want to achieve is impossible. It draws on the childhood frustration of wanting to make slime without its essential ingredients (borax and glue) as an analogy for other unattainable goals or situations.

For example, one viral video says “How to get over a guy you never dated no borax no glue.” Here, the creator suggests that moving on from someone you’ve never been in a relationship with seems as impossible as making slime without borax and glue.

“How to get back to your childhood and be nice to your little sister no borax no glue,” another one wrote over their video. A third TikToker simply added, “How to not care no borax no glue.”

Users on the app have applied this metaphor to various situations in life, expressing the impossibility of certain desires or outcomes without the necessary elements.

If there are any other phrases or slang terms on TikTok that you don’t know the meaning of, you can check out our guide here to learn all about the most popular words on the app.