ErmActually is used to sarcastically indicate that someone is making a pedantic correction, being overly technical, or acting like a know-it-all. It represents the stereotypical 'well actually' person who feels compelled to correct minor details or provide unnecessary clarification. The emote is typically used in a humorous, self-aware way when chatters themselves are about to make a correction, or to mock someone else's overly specific or nerdy statement. It embodies the essence of the phrase 'Um, actually...' that precedes many pedantic corrections.
Origin
ErmActually originated from a photo of a hamster wearing oversized round glasses with a pencil held up to its mouth, mimicking the stereotypical pose of someone making a pedantic correction. The emote was added to FrankerFaceZ (FFZ) and became widely available across Twitch in the early 2020s. It gained significant popularity in 2022-2023 as part of the broader trend of 'nerd' or 'actually' emotes on Twitch. The image plays on the classic internet meme format of animals in glasses representing know-it-all behavior, combined with Twitch chat's love for calling out corrections or displaying mock intellectualism.
When to use
When someone makes a technical correction about game mechanics, lore, or stream details
In response to streamers or chatters being overly specific or pedantic about minor details
Self-deprecatingly when a chatter is about to make their own 'well actually' correction
During discussions about complicated topics where people are splitting hairs over definitions or facts
When mocking 'nerd culture' or intellectual gatekeeping in a playful way
As part of copypasta chains where chatters pretend to be overly knowledgeable
