What Does "ICBA" Mean on TikTok? The Answer May Depend on Who You Ask

TikTok slang is a language all its own. While it borrows from internet slang as a whole, there's an ebb and flow to TikTok language that doesn't necessarily align with the rest of the internet.

Once such slang acronym, "ICBA," has its roots elsewhere in the world of languages. Yet, TikTok has adopted the phrase and molded it to create a life of its own. So what does "ICBA" mean? The meaning might change depending on who you ask, but there's one particular origin we can point to for this phrase. Here's what we know.

You'll see it everywhere on TikTok: A frustrated and fed-up creator is posting about their week and all they've been dealing with or have to deal with, and they pop "ICBA" up on the video.

Comment sections are filled with people saying "ICBA to care" or "ICBA to watch it all the way through, but I'm sorry that happened."

So what exactly does it mean?

In general, "ICBA" is considered a phrase borrowed from British slang, meaning, "I can't be arsed." Sometimes, it might simply appear as "CBA," or, "can't be arsed."

It basically means "I can't be bothered to care" or "I can't be bothered by this."

There are some sources on the internet that suggest that "ICBA" stands for "I can't breathe anymore," and it certainly gets used that way on occasion.

But the vast majority of people saying "ICBA" are basically just saying that they're done and can't be bothered anymore.

Of course, "I can't be arsed" isn't the only British slang to work its way into American and international internet spaces like American TikTok and the pages of international creators.

Some words and phrases that Americans have adopted from British slang include (via Lisa Mende):

• Ace or Aces: Meaning "great" or "brilliant."
• Bang: It can mean to either have sex or it can mean "completely." I.e., if someone says you're "bang out of line," it means you're completely out of line.
• Pub crawl: In both the U.S. and the U.K., this means you travel from adjacent bar to adjacent bar or pub.
• Blast: Often in place of "darn it" or similar phrases.
• Bloody: It doesn't mean covered in gore in this context; it means "very."

• Bob's Your Uncle: This phrase often means, "And there you have it," or "And that's how it goes."
• Bomb: Especially on the internet, this is more likely to mean "great" than "explosive."
• Bonk/Boink: Like "bang," this is slang for having sex.
• Cheeky: This means that someone is arrogant or full of sass.
• Gutted: To feel devastated, hurt, or let down by something in a big way.
• Dodgy: It doesn't just mean good at avoiding hits, it means "suspicious" or "shady."

There are many times Americans use British slang without realizing it, and the internet has somewhat globalized the English language, incorporating words and phrases from around the world.

So next time someone sneers that you're "cheeky," tell them that you "CBA" about it.

There's a very good chance they'll know exactly what you mean.