Internet Term of the Week
O RLY
O RLY is simply a shorthand version of “Oh really.” It is often used on the Internet to express either doubt or disinterest in something. O RLY is usually followed by YA RLY, which is sometimes followed by NO WAI.
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O RLY is commonly accompanied by a picture of an owl. The snowy white owl was the original O RLY owl, and it started at a message board called 4chan. It’s unknown as to why an owl was chosen to represent O RLY. It’s probably because an owl’s wise, inquisitive eyes are the perfect way to express the dubiety of a situation. The owl knows.
Example:
“I couldn’t turn in the assignment because my computer crashed, and I had to spend all night on the phone getting computer help from my dad in South America.”
Originally Published: Issue 349 - January 18, 2006
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