acquired taste

American  

noun

1. something that is unfamiliar or objectionable but becomes gradually more liked or accepted.

   His modern paintings are an acquired taste.

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acquired taste British  

noun

1. a liking for something that is at first considered unpleasant

2. the thing so liked

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acquired taste Idioms  

1. Something one learns to like rather than appreciates immediately. For example, Because it is so salty, caviar for many individuals is an acquired taste, or With its lack of decorative detail, this china pattern is definitely an acquired taste. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of acquired taste

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

On his kitchen counter was a tub of cancoillotte — a runny, gooey, metton cheese that he said is an acquired taste.

From Washington Post

It has a more pronounced flavor and texture, making it an acquired taste for many.

From Seattle Times

Getting sober involved a process of learning, as a therapist told him, “that ‘reality is an acquired taste.’”

From Los Angeles Times

Though the pleasures of baked, bubbling things were supposedly an acquired taste, I took to them right away.

From Salon

Fambrough is an activist, a gadfly and perhaps an acquired taste.

From Washington Post