Have you ever been in the middle of a new relationship where everything is perfect, easy, and exciting until it isn’t? Your new partner does or says something strange that completely turns you off, leaving you wondering what you saw in them in the first place.
What was once a blossoming new love is now utter repulsion. TikTok refers to this as “the icks.” In the social media app’s latest trend, users are sharing their own icks — that unshakeable feeling you can’t seem to get over — and asking others to share theirs.
The Icks Is a Slang Term for Being Disgusted by A Previous Relationship.
“The icks” are that shivery, yucky feeling you get after seeing a new partner in a different, less-than-flattering light, also known as a turnoff. Whether they said something strange or did something completely unexpected and cringey to you, what’s done is done, and you now have “the icks” for that person.
TikTok has been flooded with hilarious examples of the icks, including TikTok star Brittany Broski, who couldn’t make it through her entire video without laughing. “The first ick is when you’re in a car with a guy and he thinks the beat drop is coming, but he completely misses it.” She then pleaded with others to share their icks in the comments section.
“I ghosted a guy once because his butt cracked when he got out of the car,” user @breoniguess explained. “Fortnite flossing,” said another.
“When he’s at a dance and everyone’s dancing in a huddle and he’s on the outside trying to get in,” a third person wrote.
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The “ICKS” Term Actually Originated from The U.K. Version of ‘Love Island.
According to The Cut, the term “the icks” originated on the popular reality dating show Love Island.
“‘The ick’ was first coined by Olivia Attwood, a contestant on the reality dating show in 2017, who used it to describe the breakdown of her relationship with fellow contestant Sam Gowland,” the outlet wrote.
They went on, “Behind the scenes, she explained, ‘When you’ve seen a boy and got the ick, it doesn’t go,” she said. “It’s got you and has taken over your body. It’s just gross. ‘I can’t seem to shake it.'”
The ick is more than just a catchphrase on TikTok. There is a real science behind how we feel when others do small, insignificant things. The Independent investigated the sensation and what causes it.
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According to Psychologist Becky Spelman, the ick usually occurs “after a period of mutual attraction and before the relationship has had time to mature into a settled, long-term situation.” Basically, there is still enough “newness” for something minor to completely undo feelings of attraction.
She went on to say that the feeling may arise when “our unconscious mind reacts to some fundamental incompatibilities between us and the person to whom we were so recently attracted… We’ve chosen to ignore these fundamental incompatibilities and pursue a relationship with them because of the initial rush of attraction. However, when there are serious incompatibilities, problems will arise at some point.
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The “ICKS” Slang Has Spread from Tik Tok to Twitter.
What started on TikTok has ended up on other social media platforms like Twitter where users are tweeting about their own icks. One user wrote that the new trend made her realize she might be single due to her growing list of “icks.”
“TikTok has made me realize that icks really are a thing and I have many,” she wrote in her post. Another user talked about how romantic relationships simply don’t have icks. Additionally, friendship icks have started to emerge. She wrote, “Can confirm friendship icks are 1000 times worse.
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IKS, or “I know, seriously,” is an acronym. When you concur with someone, you can use this expression as an exclamation. It is frequently used in conversations, and when texting, you can just write IKS. It is both easy to use and efficient.
When you’re busy, acronyms can literally save your life. They are practical because they allow you to say a lot with only a few letters and are simple to type.