I generally do not consider "things" tacky.

But I do consider some behaviors tacky!

I think it is "tacky" when someone like Oprah says or has someone on her show who says something is "tacky" I remember a while back there ws a discussion about artificial flowers in the home in my mind they are not "tacky" but someone on her show said they were.
To each his own.

I agree about the behaviours

Toilet tank covers.

Here's the definiton of tacky (besides stick to the touch)

1. not tasteful or fashionable; dowdy.
2. shabby in appearance; shoddy
3. crass; cheaply vulgar; tasteless; crude.
4. gaudy; flashy; showy

Now we could insult someone here, someone who LIKES toilet tank covers (I don't). I don't like crocheted TP covers either.

My MIL was the tackiest person who ever lived. She would even throw what she called "tacky parties" and everyone was supposed to dress tacky. I never knew how that was any different that any other day for her. I'm really not being harsh here. DH was very embarrassed by her tackiness.

She had plenty of money but would wear some old rag of a dress she'd had for 25 years. She would put foil over her windows in the winter to keep the cold out. You could practically read through her towels they were so ragged, yet she had new ones in the closet she had never opened. She used jelly jars for glasses but had more than one set of nice glasses in a closet. She looked and acted like a bag lady. Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to offend any bag ladies with that comparison. LOL

Linda

Well daaahhhhling, I wouldn't use artificial flowers either if I had Oprah's bucks. I'd have new ones delivered every other day. But since I don't, I grow my own, and use them. In the winter, I do without, unless I can find nice ones at the store, within rea$on of course. Otherwise it houseplants until spring.
The neighbor lady uses artificial flowers in her planters a lot. They look nice enough from the street.
Leslie

I use fake flowers and greenery my cats eat and barf up the real thing~~~so if I feel I need a bit of color here and there fake it is.

Some artificial plants & flowers look very realistic & aren't tacky IMHO. I have a flower pot on my desk with artificial flowers in it (azzaleas I think) & I've even had people smell them because they look so real.

And may I say that just because I find toilet covers tacky doesn't mean a darn thing.
You should see our house!
I mean, how many people have a picture of John Wayne in their living room?
I'm sure some of you would find that beyond tacky. :-)

LOL I don't really think much about it either - to
each his own.

My Mom gave me a huge bouquet of artificial Cosmos in
a tall narrow vase that can sit on the floor. People
who come in always feel them, to see if they are real.
I wouldn't trade them for anything, because she gave
them to me.

When I was young, and knew it all, I thought lots of
things were tacky. Now, that I am older, and dumb,
I really don't think about other people's taste.

My mom has had the same dishtowels for YEARS. There must be something about them that she likes a lot. They sit in a pile (not necessarily a folded pile) wet from use. They all smell like mildew, and if you use them, your hands smell for hours.

I've bought her new towels, very carefully trying to find ones like the current ones, but she never uses them. I go over there, and the old ones still sit on the counter in a space about four feet wide. DH and I use paper towels at her house.

Maybe not tacky, but the previous towel post reminded me of it.

Linda-I would call your MIL eccentric,rather than tacky.

Tacky-Overweight women/men(and some who aren't) who walk around in shorts with the legs pulled between their thighs! Besides looking tacky,it would drive me nuts.LOL
Tacky-Sandals on feet with peeling and chipped toenail polish.
Tacky-Striped pants and floral shirts!
Tacky-Dresses over jeans.Just wear one or the other.
Guess you can tell people who don't look in the mirror before they go out in public really bother me.LOL

I try to avoid being judgmental, of
other people's choices. What they buy, wear, etc...,
isn't any of my business.
One man's trash, is another man's treasure.

The use of "invite" when the correct term is "invitation". Invite is a verb. Invitation is a noun. One is invited by receiving an invitation. One sends out invitations.

You did invite me to say I consider it tacky to use "invite" when one means "invitation".

There! Got that off my chest! Now I can go dust my artificial flowers with my threadbare towels. I really think those big yellow sunflowers blooming on my front porch are lovely.

Have a nice day,everyone! LOL

Okwriter--don't feel bad. I have a submarine in the living room and a fire hydrant in a bedroom! So John Wayne sounds fine to me!!

My daughter thinks everything i like is tacky so i learned to ignore her lol. She's a very nice girl but says what she thinks lol

People who don't RSVP.

Huge showers hosted by the immediate family. (gimme showers)

Wearing see through pale pink footless tights as leggings over print underwear that's ridden up one's crack with a belly top. (saw this one yesterday)

Camel toe.

Sales events masqueraded as social events. (I don't mean Tupperware and candle parties etc. that are aboveboard on what they are, I mean the ones which blindside you after you get there.

Having an admission fee to private parties. If you can't afford the big shindig have something you can afford. Cake and ice cream at home is fine. Don't invite twenty children to a day at Disneyland,the spa,the Rat's Cheese house or whatever unless you can pay their admission and other costs.You host, you pay.

I think it's tacky to give something back to the person who gave it to you, just because you don't like it. How hurtful!

I know of someone who did this, returned a gift to the giver because, she said, her husband didn't like it. I find that really funny for 2 reasons- one because I have the exact same thing and just love it, it's a piece of folk art, and the other person LOVES folk art. And the other- she has never cared one whit about her husband's likes or dislikes, so the excuse was really lame.

Woody thinks plastic pink flamingos are tacky, unless it's in FL. lol

Wet varnish on a park bench.

Large people who wear small clothes.

Black socks with sneakers.

Pants where the crotch fits between the knees. (OMG! When WILL that fad EVER end!)

Women, like Brittany Spears, who wear everything so low cut that you are sure something is going to fall out at any moment. Once in awhile for a special occasion maybe but not every thing they put on.

Lilliepad,

If you look in the dictionary under tacky you will find a picture of my MIL. Eccentric doesn't start to describe her. Tacky does.

Linda

People that don't accept diversity in the lives.
People that use terms that are racist, or sexist, or about people with disabilities...

You get my point....

Here is a link that might be useful: In this life I was loved by you

Toilets used for flower planters.

Women in sandals with no polish. Even clear is better than none if you are going to display your feet.
On the same note, women who's toes hang over the edge of their sandals. ugh!
Overweight women who dress like men. I know it's not easy to find decent clothes for the obese, but you don't give up and dress like a man. All women can look nice, no matter what they weigh.
Same goes for women who wear a short mans haircut. Only a handful of women in the world can pull this look off.
They end up looking like a man.(maybe that's what they wanted?)

Men of " a different persuasion" walking on Waikii Beach in their green Speedos.....now that is tacky!
Actually any males walking on the beach on Waikii wearing lime green Speedos.
People asking others very personal questions while With a group of people......or alone with just one person.

Nose rings, tattoos on women's legs....over use of tattoos on anyone...weird piercings....all of that is tacky to me.

I am beyond eccentric tho. I have stacks of raggedy towels.
And stacks of good ones too. One time I counted and I had over 80. I don't let them sit around wet tho.

I think dyed mulch...that bright red stuff or using white rocks as mulch is tacky.

And along the lines of what Carol from California said...people asking very personal questions...and the one I hate the most is when someone asks why you don't have children. I got that for years...until I had a baby and then I got the one about how wrong it is to raise just one child alone. Was at Christmas dinner at my friend's house and her mother's sister-in-law started in on my friend because she has chosen not to have children. And she went on and on about it.

Well, I'm the tackiest. I have two, not one, but TWO saddles in the living room, tackle boxes and lots of other stuff. Since DD and kids moved in with us there's no room for these things, they belong to the GD and GS. Our barn fell down several years ago and no place to put the saddles at the present time where the weather won't ruin them.

And, I do have a toilet planted with pretty flowers by the door to my thrift shop. I believe in recycling everything. lol.

I agree about the overweight and shorts. I'm overweight and absolutely refuse to wear shorts anywhere but here on the farm where I don't have any close neighbors to see the horrible sight. Too, I make sure they're comfy and not tight.

I do not like toilet tank covers. I probably have lots more tacky stuff.

Knowingly showing your underwear, such as bra straps or underpants. I know some will say it is the style, but it is still tacky in my book and always will be.

People who discuss how much they earn.
People who drive cars that are so obviously just to impress.
People that would rather talk about themselves and never listen.

Uh, donna...we could "store" those saddles for you temporarily! In fact, I'd love to!
:-)

I am really gonna go out on a limb here. I find flip flops worn anywhere but at the beach or in the wearers own home and yard to be tacky. I also think that a woman all dressed up in a nice pantsuit or dress looks tacky is she doesn't include stockings on her feet. Ditto on what Marilyn said about body piercings and tattoos.

Christmas lights that are left up year round.

LOL @ Iowagirl's tacky thing! That's got to be the winner! :)

{{!gwi}}
Laundry Room ½ Bath Hula Skirt Sink Cover

I guess I'm the Queen of Tacky! But, even I have my limits.

Cars parked in the yard on blocks.
"Wife Beater" muscle shirts. "Get er Done" Guy.
Do Rags when your not on a Harley.
Wearing Terry Houseshoes in Public.
Pink Foam Curlers in Public.
Women walking around with a cigerette hanging on their lip while they talk.
Beer Can Wind Chimes
Singing "Billy Bass" (Main Man gave them as Christmas Gifts one year as a joke) OMG!We have two! Want one?

Gayle

My SIL once told me those "Bed in a Bag" collections of matching bed linens were tacky, yet she gave me one! I don't listen to her anymore.

Gayle I love that bathroom!
Oh boy I will hit some of your houses here.
People who dress alike unless they are children.
I saw 2 adult twins dressed alike in a restaurant - weird.
Most men with pony tails just can't pull off the look. Sorry.
From Jeff Foxworthy..."Your inside furniture is now your outside furniture"

I really don't think of many things as tacky, just not my taste. What I think of as tacky is actually poor behaviour moreso than things.

One that just happened to me is: I send thank you gifts for a fellow, they go to employees of large ad agencies. I recently sent a gift that one of the recipients didn't appreciate, it was a basket of chocolates. She sent us a thank you telling us that in the future she would prefer a gift card. Now to me.....THAT is beoynd tacky.

anything from Fingerhut or Fingerhunt, whatever it is called.

Exactly, I hate those packaged food gifts. I've been on the receiving end so many times. Food gifts shows no imagination, the food is stale and poor quality, The giver has no idea what to get you, they assume everybody eats , so prepackaged food is an acceptable gift.

lynn_d - WOW! I can't imagine that that person thought it was Ok to send a note like that. Tacky? Absolutely - but I'd go with crass, impolite, vile, and ignorant. I'd be tempted to send her nothing next year(you can send her chocolates to me - - ha ha!).

Those big geese/ducks dressed in costume on porches... the lacey toilet paper holder things and their partner the dressed up toilet bowl brush, but, most of all people who are condesending to other people.