Where does the expression “ick” come from?

[Coughsweet]

I see lots of references in threads to “getting the ick” and I started wondering what the root of it is. Nothing is springing to mind and I wondered if anyone could help me have a “doh, of course 🤦” moment.

I thought, and I could be wrong, it came from Friends. At least that's where I first heard it, so I have the impression it entered popular culture jargon from there.

Icky means disgusting

hence

’the ick’

Thank you @PoochiesPinkEars

i know what it means, I just wondered how it came to mean what that.

Why don’t you google its etymology?

It's very popular on Mumsnet. According to the OED, it actually means something that makes you nauseous. Usually used completely out of context.

I feel like it's somewhat of a Gen Z thing? My daughter used to use it around a year or so ago and said it was online a lot and it's still fairly present right now.

@AccountCreateUsername i never hear people saying it in RL but the last two MN threads I clicked on used the expression so I thought someone here might know.

Years ago toddlers would say veg like sprouts were "icky". I have not heard it IRL for donkeys years. Women on here use it a huge amount. It's an irritating slang word.

Another dictionary says it's American slang from the 1920s, for feeling sick or nauseous.

Sick

Is it not 'baby talk' for sick?

I thought it was just shorthand for makes me feel a bit sick.

I just presumed it was short for sick

So, gives me the ick = makes me feel sick