Definition of ticky-tacky in English:
ticky-tacky
noun ˈtɪkɪˌtakiˈtɪkiˌtæki
mass nounNorth American informal Inferior or cheap material, especially as used in suburban building.
Example sentencesExamples
- And they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.
- The number of single-person households is on the rise; we all want our own little boxes made of ticky-tacky.
adjective ˈtɪkɪˌtakiˈtɪkiˌtæki
North American informal Made of inferior material; cheap or in poor taste.
ticky-tacky little houses
Example sentencesExamples
- He called Sid about the hundreds of unsold, unrented, slapped-up, ticky-tacky apartments in Greater Belfast.
Origin
1960s: probably a reduplication of tacky2.
Definition of ticky-tacky in US English:
ticky-tacky
nounˈtikēˌtakēˈtɪkiˌtæki
North American informal Inferior or cheap material, especially as used in suburban building.
Example sentencesExamples
- And they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.
- The number of single-person households is on the rise; we all want our own little boxes made of ticky-tacky.
adjectiveˈtikēˌtakēˈtɪkiˌtæki
North American informal (especially of a building or housing development) made of inferior material; cheap or in poor taste.
ticky-tacky little houses
Example sentencesExamples
- He called Sid about the hundreds of unsold, unrented, slapped-up, ticky-tacky apartments in Greater Belfast.
Origin
1960s: probably a reduplication of tacky.