SIGNIFICANT OTHER [question re: "squicked me"]

Richard Gage rgage at INTRAH.ORG
Thu Apr 11 21:19:23 UTC 2002


On Thu, 11 Apr 2002, Mark Mandel wrote:

 > A male couple that I knew in the 80s used that expression
 > normally. It somewhat squicked me because it seemed to me
 > to (over)emphasize the sexual aspect of the relationship, but R.,
 > the one I was closer friends with, challenged me to come up
with a satisfactory alternative, and I don't think I was able to.

==
New to me anyway, "Squick" doesn't appear in the OED or
Webster's Unabridged.  This was the best definition I could find.
Does anyone know anything more about the etymology of this word?


[Excerpt from "The Foresmutters Project" site
self-described as "the history of slash"
< http://www.eclipse.net/~mecurtin//foresmut/index.htm >
at
< http://www.eclipse.net/~mecurtin/foresmut/squick.htm > ]:


"squick"

squick: v. to make someone squirm and go "ick!", to
gross out; n. someone else's kink, not for me

"Squick" was coined on alt.sex.bondage before 1995. I've seen it
defined as "something that makes you squirm and feel icky."
Especially, things that

(a) have a sexual element

(b) someone else may like.

Usage: something is a squick, and it squicks you. There's also
the squick factor, squick threshold, etc.

There are various revolting descriptions of "what is a squick" floating
around the 'net (many propogated from alt.tasteless), but my research
indicates that the original usage was, "someone else's kink." It has
now spread to many parts of Usenet but has not crossed over into the
general population yet. But since it is an enormously useful
word (especially for people who have to think about Jerry Springer) it
will probably break out fairly soon. Let me know if you hear it
on TV/radio or see it in print.



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