The 'Hoodini' meme originated from a popular Garry's Mod Hide and Seek video uploaded by YouTuber VanossGaming in 2014. During the gameplay, Evan Fong (Vanoss) shouted the phrase as a pun on the famous magician Harry Houdini, referencing his owl character avatar and a 'magic' escape he performed while hiding. The clip quickly became one of the most iconic moments in gaming YouTube history, symbolizing unexpected disappearances or clever escapes. Today, the meme is used whenever someone manages to evade a situation or vanish suddenly, often accompanied by the image of Vanoss's signature owl character.