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AIBU?

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Original poster

To completely hate the new work ick

42 replies

Goldengirl123 · 01/08/2025 20:54

I won’t even read the posts when people use this ridiculous word in the title

OP posts:
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pictoosh · 03/08/2025 12:35

Suit yourself. As a term it has been around a long time...way before the internet.

ohyesido · 03/08/2025 12:33

I remember using the word when I was at school in the mid 90s it just meant to find something a bit gross. It’s actually related to a problem fish get with their scales

Didimum · 03/08/2025 11:50

It’s not new at all. It’s been around since late 90s (Ally McBeal coined the phrase for its current dating/relationship use). It exploded in
more popular language with Love Island. Language evolves, OP. Bit silly to get so wound up about these things.

GarlicLitre · 03/08/2025 11:50

AuntyDepressant · 03/08/2025 10:39

It’s the sort of word you’d expect from six year old child, not from grown adult women who are supposed to be mature. It’s childish and people who use it need to grow up.

Oh, come off it. "On noticing his cartoon socks, I found my libido had suddenly evaporated" may be semantically acceptable, but nowhere near as pithy.

60andcounting · 03/08/2025 11:45

I don't like it and wouldn't say it.
And I hate 'gifted' instead of given, hack' instead of tip and 'side hustle' instead of sideline.

gannett · 03/08/2025 11:42

nomas · 01/08/2025 21:16

It’s great, I wish it had been around when I was in my 20s so I could articulate why I didn’t like a man.

Do you hate it because it’s mostly used by women about men?

It's a stretch to call the word "ick" articulating anything meaningful at all, especially given the mission creep a PP referred to.

It had a very specific original meaning - a behaviour that irrationally turned you off someone you'd previously been attracted to, often signifying that the emotional connection was dead or dying.

It's useless as a catch-all though, and actually seems to be a shorthand that prevents the person using it from actually thinking about why they feel that way. And it very often veers into mean-girl territory when it's just trotted out about the physical characteristics of people you only know in passing.

And it becomes even more meaningless when applied outside a romantic context.

Like a lot of neologisms, something that encapsulated a feeling perfectly inevitably gets wrecked by overuse. Happens to all slang words.

Sally690 · 03/08/2025 11:40

Why don't you like it OP? Is it because it gives you the ick?

Snorlaxo · 03/08/2025 11:17

What do you say? Expressions like “repulsed by” are too wordy.

I think that the concept is very reasonable. Many women aren’t encouraged to trust their instincts like men are and are encouraged to be people pleasers and follow #bekind sort of nonsense. They believe that the feeling can be fixed when they should let that situation go because there’s no coming back.

Toober · 03/08/2025 11:16

I disagree OP, I think it does its job as a word! It is a bit childish/silly, because that's what an ick is. It isn't finding your boyfriend in bed with another woman, it's the way he holds his spoon when eating soup...

I completely get what you mean though, I think we all have words that for whatever reason, we just don't like!

Original poster
Goldengirl123 · 03/08/2025 11:12

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 03/08/2025 11:06

So you're saying that "ick" gives you the ick?

Exactly

OP posts:
VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 03/08/2025 11:06

So you're saying that "ick" gives you the ick?

Original poster
Goldengirl123 · 03/08/2025 10:47

Sorry all, I should have checked before posting. It shouldn’t have said work, I meant word!

OP posts:
sanityisamyth · 03/08/2025 10:46

What’s a work ick?

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 03/08/2025 10:46

I opened this thread purely because I thought wtf is a work ick?

tilypu · 03/08/2025 10:43

Very disappointed. Thought this was going to be about a new activity going on in the workplace.

AuntyDepressant · 03/08/2025 10:39

It’s the sort of word you’d expect from six year old child, not from grown adult women who are supposed to be mature. It’s childish and people who use it need to grow up.

Original poster
Goldengirl123 · 03/08/2025 10:34

Haha I like her heebie jeebies though

OP posts:
Isittimeformynapyet · 01/08/2025 23:32

Empress13 · 01/08/2025 21:19

Thought your title meant you hated your new job !

Me too. I genuinely clicked to see what this new "work ick" was.

meganorks · 01/08/2025 23:29

Your title is so bad, I thought someone at your work was giving you the ick.

I think it does the job of describing a situation really well. So have no problems with 'ick'.

I'm more annoyed by people using words with very specific meanings in the wrong context. Eg saying something gives them 'anxiety' when actually what they mean is they don't like it or don't want to do it.

VictorianChic · 01/08/2025 23:28

“Large of nork” is the one I can’t bear.

Dangermoo · 01/08/2025 23:20

Goldengirl123 · 01/08/2025 21:24

I know it’s my problem but you know when a word gives you the heebie jeebies? I don’t know why

Show quote history

You're using the term "heebie jeebies", whilst moaning about the word "ick". 🙄

MylesAndMyles · 01/08/2025 21:47

Work ick?

VaseofViolets · 01/08/2025 21:25

It’s juvenile and silly.

Original poster
Goldengirl123 · 01/08/2025 21:24

BusySittingDown · 01/08/2025 21:22

You need to edit your title.

It's not new, it's been going donkeys!

I like it. It's the perfect description of things that are...well...icky.

I know it’s my problem but you know when a word gives you the heebie jeebies? I don’t know why

OP posts:
Stichintime · 01/08/2025 21:22

For those who remember it from days gone past, I certainly remember things being icky or yicky when I was a child, a few decades ago. I think 'I've got the ick' is the newer version, although that itself has been in common usage for a good few years. I prefer 'yick' myself.