Though the true origin of the O RLY? catchphrase is unknown, typically it is simply a shortened version of "oh really" which was commonly used throughout the internet and spread through chat rooms and bulletin boards. Over time, the phrase has become more of an inside joke in many communities as people will frequently say "o rly" as a way to express disbelief of something which seems silly or absurd. Unlike the catchphrase, the origin of the O RLY owl is known. The O RLY owl was first created on 4chan when the word "o rly" was filtered to "owl". Owl quickly became widespread amongst many community websites such as fark.com, spawning many new image macros involving owls typically to display certain emotions such as laughter, enjoyment, anger, or disapproval. After the creation of the O RLY owl it was reposted and modified frequently, usually in response to various subjects, and usually for comedic value. The O RLY owl eventually spread to other web sites, spawning even more variation.