What is "elephant juice"? Luca’s Love Island lingo explained
Islanders are experts at coded conversations.
From recoupling and grafting to sex codes based on breakfast foods, Love Islanders over the years have certainly been creative with their vocabulary.
However, some coded terms have been harder than others for viewers at home to get their heads around and recently, fans have been left baffled by one phrase Love Island 2022 contestant Luca Bish has been using.
Last night’s episode (14th July) of the ITV2 dating show saw Bish take Gemma Owen to the terrace to confess his undying love for her.
He appeared to foreshadow the moment earlier that evening during the dramatic recouping, as the fishmonger turned to Gemma and told her that he was getting bored of their ‘elephant juice’ comments.
But what exactly is the meaning behind ‘elephant juice’ and why has Luca Bish been whispering it in Gemma's ear?
What is ‘elephant juice’? Luca’s Love Island lingo explained
Love Island fans taking to Twitter have been quick to explain that the words ‘elephant juice’ generate a similar pattern of lip movements to ‘I love you.’
One viewer tweeted:"If you mouth elephant juice or elephant shoes it looks like you’re saying I love you!"
Another said: "I’m actually glad that Luca said I love you because I was going to vomit if he said elephant juice again #LoveIsland"."
The coded term first featured in the 1999 film Elephant Juice, directed by Sam Miller, which follows four young couples on the quest for love.
Luca’s confession came following the couple’s first date earlier this week, in which they enjoyed a picnic by the sea.
While some viewers may have expected Luca to ask Gemma to be his girlfriend, he revealed during the date why he’s holding back from making their relationship official.
Luca told Gemma he knew that he'd have to get approval from her mother Louise Bonsall before their relationship could progress any further.
Love Island 2022 continues tonight (Friday 15th July) at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
