THE UK’S BIGGEST ICKS
Caught the ick? Dreading the ick? So far, managed to avoid the ick?! Lucky you if you’re in the latter camp.
Whether you’re playing front and centre in the dating game right now, or you merely dabble in the odd episode of Love Is Blind, the ick, it seems, is everywhere. It even boasts its own dedicated Insta account.
In the name of love, dating (and romantic repulsion!), Boux Avenue has partnered with YouGov - conducting our survey of the UK’s biggest, baddest icks right now. And guess what, ladies? Icks for boys are a thing too. Want the juiciest snippets from our nationwide poll on the cringiest turn-offs out there? Then read on.
Before we delve into what you’re all complaining about, though, let’s settle one thing. What does it actually mean, to get the ‘ick’?
WHAT DOES ‘ICK’ MEAN?
The Ick (noun): The feeling of suddenly flipping from a feeling of love and adoration to a feeling of disgust.
So, remember that time when your super hot date slurped on their soup for a millisecond too long? Or the moment your date referred to the cost of living crisis as “cozzie livs”? You felt you could probably never ever see them again, are we right? Yep, that’s the ick hitting hard - and we feel you.
A phenomenon that happens in the relatively early stages of a relationship, this feeling manifests as a real gut instinct. It may seem that the disgust you feel is undeserved or somewhat dramatic (after all, borrowing your razor isn’t that bad, is it?!) Well, it might be. It’s wise to listen to this instinct as it often shows up alongside inklings that core values are misaligned (or simply missing), and annoyingly, it doesn’t tend to go away…
In any case, we’ve broken it down for you. So whether it's a gorgeous guy or a special gal you’re hoping to serenade this Valentine’s, you don’t need to worry about giving somebody the ick; freeing up all the headspace for choosing the lingerie you’ll be treating them to, instead.
A couple of clues to get you started. Photos with the ex are most definitely out. As in, a total, non-negotiable no-go across the board, whether you’re dating a silver fox in his 50s or a Tik-Tok-obsessed Gen Z gem.
And guys, take note - gym selfies are neither alluring nor attractive. In fact, ask hundreds of women across the UK, and they’ll tell you. They’re simply irksome. Or should we say, totally “icksome”. Yes, we just coined that one.
Read on for the rest…
GIRLS’ TOP ICKS
Despite our obsession with social media, one of the top 3 icks that consistently comes up amongst the single ladies is the Facebook check-in. No one cares that you’re in Nando’s. Aside from a status update of this kind being anything but enigmatic, the fact that you order lemon and herb and a side of spicy rice at every single visit is definitely one to keep to yourself.
So what are the girls’ other top icks?
Our respondents were quizzed about the biggest icks for them; both in terms of content on potential partners’ social profiles and first date faux-pas.
The worst online offenders were those who:
- Insisted on posting gym selfies (nope, that post-set pump isn’t doing it for us, either)
- Posted photos of them and their ex partner
- Actively updated their Facebook status with check ins
And IRL? It seems the ladies cannot stand a date who is:
- Rude to staff
- Sporting an unpleasant body odour
- An open-mouthed chewer / slurper
A whopping 91.1% of the single women in the 25-34 group placed rudeness to waiting staff at the top of their ick-list. It’s official - millennials expect manners that are tip-top. Time to brush up, bae!
BOYS’ TOP PICKS
Yes, it may be predominantly the ladies who we hear disappointedly declaring “He gives me the ick,” but this is definitely one that the men are feeling too.
We needed to know more from a male perspective - so we posed the same questions to the single men of our island - and the story is surprisingly similar!
For guys, swiping right feels just plain wrong if they see:
- Photos with their ex partner
- Active Facebook check-ins
- Political Comments
So whilst ex photos and Facebook no-nos are something the sexes agree on, it also seems that social updates commenting on the socio-economic status quo simply don’t form a part of many gents’ love language. Make of that one what you will!
And when asked what they consider to be an "ick" when meeting a date for the first time in person?
Being rude to waiting staff, smelling less than heavenly and icky chewers and slurpers came up time and time again.
Pay attention to this, though; for guys aged between 34 and 54, dates who are on their phone mid-rendez-vous make it clear that a love story simply won’t see its happy ending. Around 50% of guys in these groups chose this as their biggest no-no.
And you know what? We get it. Mature men who prefer to be mesmerised by their Valentine? Form an orderly queue!
Got your own “icks” that you just can’t ignore? Weird and wonderful, or just plain “eww”, share them with us over on Insta !