This study defines the types of contexts and broader sequential settings in which the Italian negation particle mica typically emerges as well as its discourse functions in naturally occurring conversation. Mica typically arises in disaffiliative contexts and in contexts where the speaker indicates some sort of emotive involvement: here, its primary functions are linking the actual utterance to a specific contextual facet and voicing a sort of metapragmatic instruction ordering the hearer to overhaul common ground.