Kitsch describes objects or art that appeal to popular or lowbrow taste and are often of poor quality, frequently in an exaggerated or tacky manner. The word was borrowed from German and emerged in the 1920s.
Kitsch descreve objetos ou arte que apelam ao gosto popular ou de baixa qualidade, muitas vezes de forma exagerada ou brega. A palavra foi emprestada do alemão e surgiu na década de 1920.
| Word | kitsch |
|---|---|
| Date | April 10, 2018 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | KITCH |
| Etymology | "The fashionable clothing label … kicked off the revival last June …, putting its models in Miranda-inspired swimsuits and marching them through a gantlet of 50 tons of bananas," writes Mac Margolis in Newsweek International (January 2006) of a fabulously kitschy gala commemoration for the late Brazilian singer and actress Carmen Miranda. Since we borrowed kitsch from German in the 1920s, it has been our word for things in the realm of popular culture that dangle, like car mirror dice, precariously close to tackiness. But although things that can be described with kitsch and the related adjective kitschy are clearly not fine art, they may appeal to certain tastes—some folks delight in velvet paintings, plastic flamingos, dashboard hula dancers, and Carmen Miranda revivals! |
| Examples | Geraldine was amused by the kitsch sold in the roadside souvenir shop, but she wasn't tempted to buy anything. "During my wait, I took in my surroundings, which reflect a thematic blend of 1950s-style diner and rural-American kitsch. The TV behind the barstool counter cranked out a steady diet of 'The Andy Griffith Show' reruns via Netflix." — The Grub Scout, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2018 |
| Definition | 1 : something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality 2 : a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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