Ick, Nicole Robb

Ick

Nicole Robb

The “Ick” is a feeling someone gets, immediately following a (sometimes insignificant) action or remark by someone you had previously felt infatuated by, that makes you feel a sense of disgust.

Urban dictionary explains that “...you just progressively get more and more turned off by them, weirdly & maybe for no reason in particular grossed out by them”. The term the “Ick” was made popular by a show called Love Island and then, as a result, grew in popularity on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. Many subtweets and trends went viral with people, particularly teenager girls and young women, admitting what seemingly simple actions have turned them off from a potential partner. For instance, many heterosexual women have admitted that a man who chases after a coin that they dropped, then it started rolling away and they proceeded to chase after it, has given them an uncomfortable feeling, which eventually led to a lack of desire for that person almost immediately afterwards, also known as the “Ick”. Of course, this isn’t a feeling reserved for women, as men, various sexualities and gender-identities have also admitted to their experience of this feeling. Other examples of things that have given many the “Ick” include unusual laughs, randomly bursting into song, quoting movies, standing with your feet turned outwards, not liking certain animals, using certain emojis, voice cracks, knowing too much about a particular subject, not understanding references, not drinking water, drinking water too loudly, wearing socks to bed, not wearing socks indoors and so on... It typically comes down to personal preference, however, many people find some of them relatable and therefore reasonable. Some of these things are said to speak volumes about the persons character and is therefore a “red-flag”, such as not liking dogs and others are totally innocent quirks, that some people do not find attractive for reasons they can’t even explain themselves. Although this is not a feeling specifically reserved for teenagers, it is common amongst teenagers to use this term, as they start exploring the world of dating. It emphasizes the short-lived but intense emotions teenagers go through; one day they are convinced they are in love with a person, and the next they are not. As teenagers are navigating their feelings and emotions around attraction, this feeling of the “ick” is almost guaranteed to surface at some point.

Resource List:

1. Academic Resource (Journal Article): Samadder, R. (2022). Got the ick? When a sudden pang of disgust ruins your romance. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/31/got-the-ick-when-a-pang-ofdisgust-ruins-yourromance#:~:text=An%20ick%20is%20a%20point,ick%2C%20despite%20your%20better%20ju dgment

2. Non-Academic Resource (A Song): The Ick by Madelynne Whit