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Male foibles - The Ick?

(99 Posts)
merlotgran Sun 07-Jan-24 11:04:50

Before anyone jumps on me for passive aggressive bullying, this is intended to be a light hearted thread.

Two years ago I told my granddaughters that as a teenager I refused to go out with a boy after I’d heard him call Coca Cola, fizzy pop!! šŸ˜®šŸ˜‚ I thought him deeply uncool.

They shrieked with laughter and said he’d obviously given me ā€˜the ICK.’ I’d never heard this expression before (along with many others) and the dictionary definition says it’s something that causes disgust. Well, I wouldn’t go that far! šŸ˜‚

Last week I had lunch with a group of friends and sat opposite a man I didn’t know. I didn’t mind that he talked at length about his past career, many qualifications, years of service etc., etc., I can zone out when that happens but it was when he cut up his naan bread with a knife and fork and dipped each dainty little square in the sauce that I thought Eeeek! Or should that be ICK?? 🤣🤣🤣

So, what gives you the Ick? Of course it’s not always men- I hasten to add!

Baggs Sun 07-Jan-24 13:41:26

🤣 I read this to Minibaggs. She said "Good post!" and explained all about the internet meme of The Ick.

I'll have to have a think now.....

merlotgran Sun 07-Jan-24 14:21:26

Baggs

🤣 I read this to Minibaggs. She said "Good post!" and explained all about the internet meme of The Ick.

I'll have to have a think now.....

Thank you, Minibaggs šŸ˜€

bubbly1960 Sun 07-Jan-24 15:10:30

I met a lovely young man in my youth. All went well until one day he wore a gabardine rain mac. No problem with that, until I saw the green paisley lining....

Esmay Sun 07-Jan-24 15:17:44

Now I know what it's called !
Many moons ago , I went out with a guy . He was some years older than me and came from a wealthy highly respectable family .
I was a rather shy girl and his respect for me was unusual for the age and very agreeable .
We'd got to the meet the parents stage .
One Saturday , he arranged to meet ne off the bus to have another afternoon tea with his parents .
I'd previously enjoyed being with him though I admit that he didn't set my world on fire .
He was standing at the bustop with his mother's Yorkshire terrier , complete with a huge red bow .
Had this dog been big - my favourite type at the time or without that awful bow we would have progressed to the engagement .

I had a major dose of The Ick .

When I returned home and told my Grandma and Mother they both rocked with laughed .

Thank goodness my Mother hadn't met his affluent and entirely suitable (in her eyes) parents and I wasn't pushed into an understanding !

lemsip Sun 07-Jan-24 16:41:48

don't know about ick, back in the day if someone was annoyed we called it the 'ike' sounding like eye k

MerylStreep Sun 07-Jan-24 16:49:32

This was a thread on MN. I can’t put here what turned me off because it would out me on there.

My sister was in a serious relationship. In a conversation she mentioned that she’d like to live on a kibbutz. He didn’t know what she was talking about. It ended soon afterwards.

seadragon Sun 07-Jan-24 17:25:45

My BF now DH turned up for a charity event dressed as a Chinese Mandarin in a beautiful silk dressing gown and sporting a false moustache. I sent him home to change and he returned an hour later dressed 'normally'. I waited for him wearing my dad's RN cap and jacket..black tights and boots but no trousers!!! My sister and I regularly recall this incident from 55 years ago with horror..
I think his outfit must have given me The Ick!

Maggiemaybe Sun 07-Jan-24 17:42:11

I’d bagged myself a lovely Young Farmer boyfriend. Wealthy family, tall, good-looking, kind, drove a sports car. On our first date he read me a poem he’d written about me. I might have got past that if he hadn’t picked me up for the second (and last) date wearing a poncho. I spent the whole evening praying we didn’t bump into anyone who knew me.

Casdon Sun 07-Jan-24 17:56:57

I packed a boy in once because he spat on the ground when we went out for a walk -yuck. I don’t think people pack you in these days, they call that something else too I expect.

Sparklefizz Sun 07-Jan-24 18:04:41

I called round to see a boyfriend unexpectedly and he opened the door wearing a Paddington-bear type dressing gown which immediately put me off him.

When I told my Mum, she said "Well, you could have bought him a different one" but it was too late. He'd given me the ick.

Juno56 Sun 07-Jan-24 19:32:33

I went out for a drink with a chap to a very well known pub in the East End of London (think Kray Twins) to meet some of his friends. During the evening a Salvation Army officer came in selling The War Cry. My date fumbled in his pocket for some change and produced a purse with a top clasp! Not even a wallet with a section for coins, a purse like your granny might have šŸ˜! Nobody else in our group batted an eyelid so maybe this was the fashion for East End 'geezers' in the 70's but it gave me the ick. I didn't accept a second date.

flappergirl Sun 07-Jan-24 19:49:09

When I worked for a stockbroking company in my twenties I was rather flattered to be asked out by one of the consultants. He was around 30, nice looking and a pleasant guy.

He took me to a very up market restaurant and all was going well. This was in the days of nouvelle cuisine and the starters arrived looking like a work of art. We were about to tuck in when he hailed the waitress and asked for tomato ketchup. She looked very sniffy about it but went to get some. He smothered his starter with it until it looked like a dog's dinner and didn't hold back with the Chateaubriand main course. Apparently he always put it on everything he ate.

I like ketchup but there is a time and a place. This was a definite "ick" moment.

Primrose53 Sun 07-Jan-24 19:55:16

When I was 17 I went out with a very nice lad but I dumped him when I discovered he had false teeth.

hollysteers Sun 07-Jan-24 20:48:49

A past boyfriend referred to his evening meal as his ā€œdin dinsā€ and when I went round to his flat at an arranged time, he just carried on cutting his toenails in front of the fire..
Well and truly icked.

merlotgran Sun 07-Jan-24 21:25:08

Oh these are hilarious! 🤣🤣🤣

GrannySomerset Sun 07-Jan-24 22:26:50

I ended a quite long term relationship because he used a purse. Still can’t bear to see a man doing so. DH of course carried his change in his trouser pockets which needed regular repair.

Witzend Mon 08-Jan-24 09:33:28

I didn’t dump him (not until later anyway) but an old boyfriend used to swill every mouthful of any drink around his mouth before swallowing it. A very unlovely habit.

JackK Mon 08-Jan-24 11:11:41

One ex boyfriend turned up in red shoes (ICK)
Another changed gears too quickly ... determined to get from0-80 in 5 seconds (ICKER)

Spuddy Mon 08-Jan-24 11:11:54

I used to go out with a man some years ago who I thought was lovely, and he was...until he mentioned he loves 8-legged beasties and has a load of them as pets.... all female ...large ones...

I refused to ever see him again! Sorry, tarantula man, but you're welcome to your creepy ladies!

Stella14 Mon 08-Jan-24 11:15:03

Casdon

I packed a boy in once because he spat on the ground when we went out for a walk -yuck. I don’t think people pack you in these days, they call that something else too I expect.

Dump!

Chicklette Mon 08-Jan-24 11:20:25

I have 2 that come to mind. When I was about 18 a friend set me up with his friend. We went to a pub just after Christmas and the man I was with asked the barman if he’d had a nice Christmas. The man said yes but he’d drunk and lot and wasn’t really with it. My date said ā€œNo, you’re with the Woolwich!ā€ Which would’ve been bad enough but he turned to me and said, very loudly, ā€œDid you hear? He said he wasn’t with it and I said no you’re with the Woolwich!ā€ I wished the ground could swallow me up. No second date.

The other was some years later when I was a single Mum. I unwisely got into a brief relationship with a friend I’d known for years. It was going ok until I agreed he could stay the night next time I saw him. He turned up with his clothes in a holdall. The sight of it made me want to throw him out!

REWIRING Mon 08-Jan-24 11:22:28

When I was 17 I arrived for a first date with a lad same age as me - tall blond and good looking and a swimmer. He turned up on his cycle- no problem but wearing bicycle clips- and at 17 that was so uncool so that was the end of that!! Now in my 60’s he could wear them on his head and I wouldn’t caregrin

Grantanow Mon 08-Jan-24 11:25:53

Interesting collection of irrational responses!

B9exchange Mon 08-Jan-24 11:28:48

One boyfriend my mother deemed very suitable (enough to out me off for a start) turned up in a Triumph Spitfire and changed gear by holding the gear stick with the tips of his fingers rather than enclosing his hand round it. That was enough, yuck!