Word of the Day – Ticky-tacky

Ticky-tacky (noun)

ti-ki-tak-i

Inferior or cheap material, especially as used in suburban building.

According to the etymology of Ticky-tacky it was first coined in song “Little Boxes” by U.S. political folk-singer Malvina Reynolds and was probably used as a musical reduplication of tacky.

Example sentences

“I doubt very much that will be standing in a hundred years, not with that ticky-tacky build quality.”

“Hundreds of ticky-tacky houses were flattened in the earthquake.”