artsy-fartsy (arty-farty in British English)
So popular it’s even on a t-shirt–if you aren’t using this expression you’re missing out! Just pronouncing it makes me smile, so naturally I think it’s high time that artsy fartsy makes its way to our little froggy land.
Caution: Don’t use this around your true artist friends if you don’t want to offend them.
1. A person who talks about high art or cultural things in a pretentious way. The rest of us think he’s silly or boring.
Rob’s friends were a couple of artsy-fartsy types who talked endlessly about the decline of the modern American novel.
2. A thing that is supposedly highly cultural, but to the regular sane person merely pretentious.
ABSTRACT ARTIST: This old boot stuck to a canvas represents fading life and lost integrity….
TEENAGER: Uh, yeah, dude, it’s just an artsy fartsy old boot.
TEENAGER: Uh, yeah, dude, it’s just an artsy fartsy old boot.
If someone is artsy, they are interested in art or maybe even a budding artist. It’s not necessarily negative.
However, artsy-fartsy is a derogative term to describe art or people who are connected to art. It’s not a nice thing to say to a real artist.
Find more definitions of informal language and expressions at urbandictionary.com
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