Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-couple-having-an-argument-7876284/The strangest reasons people have called it off with a partner include them having dirty or long fingernails, putting on a ‘baby voice’ – and naff tattoos.
A poll of 2,000 adults found nearly half (49%) have ended a relationship because of an ‘ick’, and 56% have ghosted someone completely.
An eighth (12%) have called it quits with a romantic interest because they were obsessed with star signs, while 11% have ended it with someone who clapped when a plane landed.
A tenth of men would also happily break it off with someone who wanted to share food on a first date.
And 12% of women find a brash watch an ‘ick’, while 14% judge someone else for referring to their football team as ‘we’.
The study was commissioned by upscale dating site Seeking. Spokesperson and in-house dating expert, Emma Hathorn said:
"People are very set on what they want, which is empowering.
“Online dating has opened up a whole new world of singles, which means people can afford to have higher standards.
“And if an absolute deal-breaker for you is someone who never wears sunglasses indoors or chews with their mouth open, that’s absolutely fair enough.”
The study found simply smelling bad is the top ick, selected by 16% of those surveyed.
This was followed by pretending to be more knowledgeable about something than they really are and being overbearing or rude (both 15 per cent).
Top 30 things that give adults the 'ick'
- Smelling bad
- Pretending to be more knowledgeable about something than they actually are
- Being overbearing and rude
- Double texting (sending a secondary text if you’ve not responded after the first one)
- Having bad teeth
- Being rude to a waiter
- Living in a mess
- Having dirty fingernails
- Chewing with their mouth open
- Being too clingy
- Talking too loud
- Eating and talking at the same time
- Being obsessed with their star signs
- Having long fingernails
- Putting on a baby voice
- Wearing too much makeup
- Breathing heavily
- Oversharing on social media
- Referring to themselves in third person
- Having a bad tattoo
- Wearing a weird coloured lipstick
- Having shoes that are too dirty
- Having an Instagram account for their pet
- Referring to their football team as 'we'
- Clapping when an airplane lands
- Wearing bad jeans
- Wearing sunglasses indoors
- Taking longer than you to get ready
- Having too many shirt buttons undone
- Wearing shoes you don’t like
