culture vulture

noun

Slang.

1. a person with an excessive or pretentious interest in the arts.

culture vulture

noun

1. informal,  a person considered to be excessively, and often pretentiously, interested in the arts

Word History and Origins

Origin of culture vulture¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

An individual with a consuming or excessive interest in the arts. For example, A relentless culture vulture, she dragged her children to every museum in town. This slangy term may have been originated by Ogden Nash, who wrote: “There is a vulture Who circles above The carcass of culture” (Free Wheeling, 1931). [1940s]