There are few things truly universal in life: death, taxes, and that weird “S” symbol we all scribbled in the margins of our notebooks. You know the one I'm talking about.

Even if you’ve never set foot in the same country, you and a kid halfway across the globe both doodled the exact same thing. And here’s the wild part: kids are still drawing it today. The Cool S refuses to die.

The Recipe for Cool

The “S” wasn’t just a letter. It was a secret handshake. A rite of passage.
Step one: three parallel lines.
Step two: three more.
Step three: connect with diagonals like you’re solving a geometry puzzle.

Voilà. Instant street cred. It was the closest most of us ever got to tagging a subway car.

Nobody Knows Where It Came From

Here’s the thing: no one really knows who invented it. Some swear it started with the Stüssy clothing brand. Others say graffiti artists passed it around in the ‘80s and ‘90s. A few conspiracy theories claim it’s been around since ancient runes (probably drawn by bored monks instead of bored middle schoolers).

The truth? The “S” is like playground folklore. No one teaches it. It just appears. One day you’re eating your peanut butter sandwich, the next day you’ve mastered the universal doodle.

The S Endures (Even today)

If you thought it disappeared with flip phones and dial-up tones, think again. Teachers still report students doodling it in the margins of their maths workbooks today. Kids who weren’t even alive for Napster are still drawing the exact same S we did.

Why Did We Love It So Much?

  • It looked edgy but required zero talent.
  • It was symmetrical and satisfying.
  • You could add flames, arrows, or 3D shadows if you were feeling extra.
  • It made you feel like you were part of some underground club.

The “S” wasn’t art. It was an identity.

The Internet Made It Immortal

Of course, once the internet showed up, the Cool S became… immortalized. Reddit threads, YouTube tutorials, even TikToks of kids teaching the steps. A whole new generation is passing it along, proving that the symbol is essentially viral.

And if you search long enough, you’ll find entire galleries of people tattooing it on their skin. Which is either the most nostalgic or the most regrettable decision, depending on the angle of your midlife crisis.

A Timeless Doodle

So why does the Cool S survive when so many trends fade? Probably because it’s simple, rebellious, and free. No app download required, no algorithm pushing it. Just six lines and a bit of curiosity.

Some kids learn it in 3rd grade. Some rediscover it in high school. All of us carry it with us, tucked away in the corner of our brain next to the lyrics of songs we don’t admit we still know.

The Cool S is the world’s tiniest cultural glue.

What’s your best Cool S memory? Carving it into a desk, doodling it in detention, or adding flames until it looked like a tattoo sketch?