“Erm, What the Sigma?" Explained
“Erm, what the sigma?" is a nonsense phrase. It can be understood as a way of saying “What the heck,” but often is not intended to have any actual meaning and is said or commented ironically. On TikTok, users make videos featuring the “Erm, what the sigma?” audio that spawned the meme, in which voices similar to Spongebob and Squidward from the show Spongebob Squarepants repeat the phrase. One viral example of the meme is a TikTok with the characters Spongebob and Squidward edited into a video of someone dipping an ice cream cone in chocolate sauce. The characters repeat, “Erm, what the sigma?” to each other. It’s humorous because it’s a nonsensical reaction to a regular TikTok video. Another example of the phrase’s usage is in captions of TikToks about trying to use slang to talk to Gen Alpha or trying to understand younger people’s conversations. The phrase can be humorously combined with other nonsense memes like ‘skibidi toilet.’
How to Use “Erm, What the Sigma?"
You can use the “Erm, what the sigma?” phrase several ways. TikTokers use the “Erm, what the sigma?” audio in TikToks to jokingly signal that they are sigma males (a separate meme referring to a cool, lone-wolf male), to make fun of having brainrot (when one’s vocabulary becomes taken over by nonsense memes from spending too much time online), or to show their pets running wild. As a comment or reply, you can type or say “Erm, what the sigma?” when the content of a video or situation seems bizarre and leaves you speechless. It also makes sense to comment the phrase on Spongebob Squarepants-related memes, since the voices in the TikTok audio that spawned the “Erm, what the sigma?” meme resemble Spongebob and Squidward.
“Erm, What the Sigma?” Origins
The “Erm, what the sigma?” meme went viral on TikTok in March 2024. It first appeared in a now-deleted TikTok from user @lawfreeza in which two Instagram voice messages were played, the second one saying the phrase, “Erm, what the sigma?” The video was reposted by another user, @annamae_83, who highlighted the voice’s resemblance to Squidward’s. It received more attention when user @huugh_mungus used the sound in a TikTok video of Squidward and Spongebob “reacting” to an ice cream cone by repeating the meme. The original voice note audio of the phrase was a mash-up of a line from Family Guy—in which Stewie Griffin's catchphrase is, “Erm… What the deuce?”—and the slang term “sigma,” referring to a cool, lone wolf male.
Related Slang
Sigma The term “sigma” refers to a cool male who, unlike the alpha male, is a lone wolf figure. Sigma and alpha males are considered equal on the hierarchy of maleness. The terms have their root in the toxic “manosphere” Internet communities, but have been appropriated by Gen Z and Gen Alpha to use ironically and in memes joking about being sigma (cool).
“Erm… What the deuce?” This phrase from the cartoon show Family Guy, repeated by character Stewie Griffin, likely inspired the original “Erm, what the sigma?” audio. The phrase became popular on the site iFunny in 2021 before meme variations (such as Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants saying “Erm… what the scallop?”) spread to other social media platforms in 2022.
So That Just Happened Similar to “Erm, what the sigma?” are the Marvel one-liner memes like “So, that just happened” and “Well, this is awkward.” These meme phrases refer to the occasional cliché lines said in Marvel superhero films as jokes, which are viewed as cringe by Gen Z/Gen Alpha. “So, that just happened” is often quoted in similar contexts to “Erm, what the sigma?” indicating a situation is absurd or cringe.
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