Re: [UUPoly-L] Squick

1 squick v. to disturb, unsettle, make uneasy; to cause disgust or revulsion; to gross (someone) out; to freak (someone) out. Also noun, something which causes disgust, revulsion, or uneasiness, or the disgust, revulsion, or uneasiness itself. Also squick (someone) out.

2 Entry: squick
Function: verb
Definition: to bring displeasure, to "gross one out"; to perform an action that makes other people cringe in disgust; to suggest something of a displeasurable nature
Word History: Invented, 2002.
Sample sentence: <Stacey squicked Ani by showing her fresh wound.>

3 The term squick was introduced in the Usenet newsgroup alt.sex.bondage in the early 1990s to refer to an otherwise unremarkable act that crossed someone's personal boundaries in an extreme fashion, i.e. be something that person considered gross or otherwise extremely unpleasant to think about. At about the same time (in early 1991) it was described in an alt.tasteless article as meaning to have sex with a trepanation in a (recently) living person's skull.

Both meanings of the term have since spread widely among the USENET and message board communities, though the 'otherwise unremarkable' aspect of the first meaning is largely forgotten. There is also a verb form which is widely used to describe the reaction to squick (e.g. "That squicked me when I first heard about it.") The interjection "Squick!" is a common reaction to boundary-crossing images, posts, and concepts of all kinds.

Squick is also commonly used in fanfiction to refer to any topic covered in the writing that might cross the average person's tolerance/comfort boundaries, as well as to convey one's personal discomfort with material that others might not find objectionable. Common "squicks" range from particular romantic pairings, sexual orientation, dynamics within pairings, and specific sexual acts to character death, violence, rape, and even non-canonical characterizations. Authors generally preface their stories with warnings (see Slash fiction#Content Ratings and Warnings) for the benefit of the easily-squickable.

The proposed unit of Squickliness (also known as "squick factor") is the milliWinger, named for furry artist Doug Winger. An alternative unit is the Shudder, equal to the number of milliseconds the victim shudders after encountering the squick-inducing image or concept.

The practice of squicking can be defined by the alt.tasteless Encyclopedia Horribilis:

"SQUICKING: The practice one takes up when skull fucking becomes tedious. Skull fucking is the easiest of the two acts, as you only have to remove your partner's eye to get somewhere to stick your thingie. A proper squicking requires you to trephine your partner (make a hole in your partner's skull) and pork its brain this way. Aiming for the gap between the two hemispheres is said to provide you with firestorming orgasms. The variations are of course endless."


-----Original Message-----
>From: Marly <marlycharley@yahoo.com>
>Sent: Sep 7, 2006 10:31 AM
>To: uupoly-l@uupa.org
>Subject: [UUPoly-L] Squick
>
>I like to think of 'squick' as a combo of 'squirm' and
>'ick'!
>
>Marly
>
>--- Stacey Greenstein <stacey.nj@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Squick = "weird you out" "gross you out" "turn you
>> off" and other such
>> things.
>> 
>> On 8/22/06, Richard Torstrick
>> <rtorstrick@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > Please parse "squick!"
>> >
>> > LOL in Bloomington
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From:
>> uupoly-l-bounces+rtorstrick=sbcglobal.net@uupa.org
>> >
>>
>[mailto:uupoly-l-bounces+rtorstrick=sbcglobal.net@uupa.org]
>> On Behalf Of
>> > Christine Heinsohn
>> > Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 2:02 PM
>> > To: uupoly-l@uupa.org
>> > Subject: Re: [UUPoly-L] struggling
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Christine Heinsohn
>> > Elmdale, Kansas 66850
>> > My Cooking Blog:
>> > http://momshearth.livejournal.com/
>> >
>> >
>> > Angela wrote:
>> >
>> > My partner is not oppositional.  A woman I am
>> talking to about opening
>> > ourselves to one another--her husband is
>> frightened of losing their
>> > relationship.  We are talking and he is willing to
>> get to know me and my
>> > husband better, and is not shutting it out
>> completely but he says it is
>> > outside his comfort zone.  Of course, I treat him
>> with respect and
>> > care.  As
>> > well as all involved.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > [Christine's comments:]
>> >
>> > I have heard it said that Polyamory goes at the
>> pace of the slowest member
>> > of the group involved.  I see so truth in that,
>> but....It's not 100%
>> > correct.
>> > Are is
>> > First of all, it is wonderful that he has
>> recognized that the situation is
>> > out of his comfort zone and his STILL willing to
>> talk as well as get to
>> > know
>> > you all.  Work on developing a friendship first
>> and foremost.  Work on
>> > developing trust.
>> >
>> > What aspects is he afraid of losing?  Ask him to
>> speak of them.  And don't
>> > immediately say things like, "Oh, that won't
>> happen"  because they may.
>> > Polyamory is risky business, it's risky because
>> relating in new ways
>> > creates
>> > change.  So what one has come to be "true" or
>> "always there"
>> > changes.  Maybe
>> > it doesn't change in a bad way, but it changes,
>> the comfort zone is
>> > altered.
>> >
>> >
>> > Jealousy is not a bad emotion.  It's an emotion
>> that should be experienced
>> > and then the correct course of action chosen after
>> the experiencing.
>> > Retaliation and recrimination are not necessarily
>> correct courses of
>> > action
>> > following the experience of jealousy.
>> >
>> > You and your new friends might benefit from
>> reading some of the "old
>> > standbys" if you haven't already...
>> >
>> > The Ethical Slut
>> > Polyamory: The New Love without Limits
>> >
>> > Both are available for Amazon.
>> >
>> > Also, a really cool about knowing someone is
>> different sexually than you
>> > are
>> > is titled:  Someone You Know is Kinky.  Yes it is
>> aimed more at the BDSM
>> > world, but as I was reading it, it also seemed
>> like most of what was being
>> > said about acceptance was true for those of us
>> involved in polyamory.  So
>> > if
>> > the world of Kink does not squick you, that book
>> might be good reading as
>> > well.
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > The UUPoly-L mailing list has public archives.
>> > Please keep that in mind when deciding how much to
>> reveal about yourself.
>> > UUPoly-L mailing list
>> > UUPoly-L@uupa.org
>> > http://www.uupa.org/mailman/listinfo/uupoly-l
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > The UUPoly-L mailing list has public archives.
>> > Please keep that in mind when deciding how much to
>> reveal about yourself.
>> > UUPoly-L mailing list
>> > UUPoly-L@uupa.org
>> > http://www.uupa.org/mailman/listinfo/uupoly-l
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> The UUPoly-L mailing list has public archives.
>> Please keep that in mind when deciding how much to
>> reveal about yourself.
>> UUPoly-L mailing list
>> UUPoly-L@uupa.org
>> http://www.uupa.org/mailman/listinfo/uupoly-l
>> 
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
>http://mail.yahoo.com 
>_______________________________________________
>The UUPoly-L mailing list has public archives.
>Please keep that in mind when deciding how much to reveal about yourself.
>UUPoly-L mailing list
>UUPoly-L@uupa.org
>http://www.uupa.org/mailman/listinfo/uupoly-l
This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail (Mailman edition) and MHonArc.