03 Mar 2022
Overview
  • From having little orange stains around their mouth after eating spag bol to sitting cross-legged, here's what the ick can look like. 🥵
  • What's it like getting the ick and how the heck can we get over it? 😮‍💨 Bigfatyikes.com

When the word 'ick' started circling around, I immediately thought it was the fungus disease from Spongebob Squarepants:

Well, the ick might as well be a fungus disease. It's revolting, rank, and rancid when you get it. 

Urban dictionary states that "the ick" is: "something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you, making you instantly hate the idea of being with them romantically".

Icks are more specific and may seem pettier than a turn-off. For example, a 🥵turn-off🥵 could be when the person you're dating is a wanker to you around your mates, or they're horrible to their 'rents. But an 😳ick😳 is a very small, particuliar thing — a quality, habit, or event that makes you prefer the idea of peeling the skin from your body than pashing them.

So what can an 'ick' be? 😬

We asked you guys for some of your icks and here were some of them:

  • Walking away after your turn at bowling
  • Whistling
  • Being too touchy
  • Mumma boys
  • Fake nails
  • Holding their nose when they jump into the water
  • Running with a backpack on
  • When they're holding an umbrella and it goes inside out
  • Sitting cross-legged
  • Having little orange stains around their mouth after eating spag bowl
  • Slurping a hot drink, gulping it and going "ahh" afterwards.
  • Android phones
@theinspiredunemployed

The reason there’s so many lonely man out there 😂

♬ original sound - T.I.U

You may feel psychotic when something as small as whistling makes you wanna run for the hills, but you're not the only one. When we get the ick, it's like Cupid's arrow has been pulled out of you, leaving us frazzled and revolted in the aftermath.

I once had a crush on a guy for a year. We started seeing each other and I noticed that before every sip, he'd poke his tongue out first. There was no coming back. Auf Wiedersehen, love.

Getting the ick 🥴

Getting the ick can happen at any stage in a relationship.

Maybe you've had a crush on someone and then they turn out to eat their food with their mouth open. Au revoir crush. Maybe you've gone on a few dates but can't get over the fact that they can't get “your”, “you’re” and “there”, “they’re” and “their” right. Arriverderci. Maybe you're in a long-term relationship but it's started making you sick to your stomach that they wear a dressing gown. And then, you start noticing more and more things that make your stomach churn about them. Hasta la vista baby.

It's fine to get the ick. We've all got our own little dealbreakers! But what if you wanna get over it? What if the ick is ruining relationship after relationship, or you're still into the person and wanna kick this rank feeling to the curb? 

@kevpongg #foryou #ick #firstdate ♬ Realisation - Kevin

How to get over the ick 😮‍💨

At the end of the day, "icks" aren't red flags. They aren't toxic or unhealthy, they're trivial. In some cases, I've learned to roll with icks. It can even stem from anxiety and be, well, you - not them - that's the issue.

@ickyickickick #ickstogetoverhim #fyp #boys #icks #funny ♬ SugarCrash! - ElyOtto

When it comes to getting a crush, for example, you subconsciously tend to hoist them up onto a pedestal, and every time you talk to them, you get sweaty and shaky, fumbling and mumbling your words because they seem "godlike" in your head. Buuuut when they've shown an ick, boom. You've humanised them. They're human, you're human. And that's where I do my best flirting work. 😂 You will commit icks too so don't treat anyone like they're anything other than human. Even some aliens probably chew with their mouth open. 

Sometimes, you can make a joke out of it, or even light-heartedly tease them about it. Buuuut other times, it can get to a point of no return. 

If things are snowballing and getting worse, address the ick or else it'll fester into a yuckier issue. But if you feel like that won't even work, what is your gut telling you? Fo' real, take a second, have some space and listen to your gut. 

This may be your subconscious telling you that you're just not that into them. I mean, when we're not fully that into someone, our mind can show us nagging things we don't like about them to kick us into "flight" mode. If you were reaaaally into them, them holding their nose as they jump into the water could just be something you tease them about, not something that makes you run for the hills. 

@brittany_broski 🥴🥴🥴🥴🤢🤢 TELL ME UR ICKS I LOVE READING THEM #ick ♬ original sound - Brittany

I was once dating someone for a few months, and the ick was genuinely making me angry and anxious. Whilst we'd have some fab times together, the cons serrriously starting outweighing the pros. And guess what, I'm happier without them tbh. So what are the pros and cons for you? 

Icks are funny to talk about because let's be real, they're kinda ridic. So try to keep them light-hearted for the most part. Make jokes, laugh, and be open about them. But if they genuinely make your face scrunch up in horror and you feel like there's no redemption, give Cupid the finger and run. You're allowed to. 😉