ticky-tacky
/ˈtɪkɪˌtaki
/North American informal
noun [mass noun]
Inferior or cheap material, especially as used in suburban building.The number of single-person households is on the rise; we all want our own little boxes made of ticky-tacky....
- And they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.
adjective
Made of inferior material; cheap or in poor taste: ticky-tacky little houses...
- He called Sid about the hundreds of unsold, unrented, slapped-up, ticky-tacky apartments in Greater Belfast.
Origin
1960s: probably a reduplication of tacky2.
- keep one's feet
- keep one's fingers crossed
- keep one's hands clean
- keep one's head
- keep one's head above water
- keep one's head down
- keep one's mouth shut
- keep one's nose clean
- keep one's nose out of
- keep one's nose to the grindstone
- keep one's own counsel
- keep one's powder dry
- keep one's side of the bargain
- keep one's word
- keep (or archaic bear) someone company
- keep (or eat) kosher
- keep (or hold) one's end up
- keep (or leave) one's options open
- keep (or lose) one's cool
- keep (or lose) one's temper
- keep (or lose) track of
- keep (or make) a House
- keep (or sleep in) a whole skin
- keep (or stand) guard
- keep (or stay) out of someone's way