ricky-tick

American  

[rik-ee-tik, -tik] / ˈrɪk iˈtɪk, -ˌtɪk /

noun

1. the mechanical, repetitive style and beat of ragtime or early swing music.

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adjective

1. of or characteristic of such sound or beat.

2. corny or outmoded.

Usage

What does ricky-tick mean? Ricky-tick means corny or outdated. It can be used to describe the kinds of things that seem a bit old-fashioned and silly because they come from another era. The similar term rinky-dink can be used to mean the same thing, but it more commonly means inferior, amateurish, or small-time. The term rinky-tink can also be used to mean the same thing as ricky-tick. Both ricky-tick and rinky-tink can also be (and were originally) used to describe the mechanical, repetitive style and beat of ragtime or early swing music. Both terms can also be used as nouns to refer to such music. Ricky-tick is also a military slang term meaning immediately or as quickly as possible. It’s often used in the phrase most ricky-tick, as in Drop what you’re doing most ricky-tick and get down here. Example: His act is a bit ricky-tick, if you ask me, but I guess that’s what his audience wants to see.

Etymology

Origin of ricky-tick

First recorded in 1935–40; apparently imitative

Example Sentences

Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo has contributed an amazingly effective score, encompassing everything from kiddietime ricky-tick to rock to parodies of Bernard Herrmann and Ennio Morricone.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 1985

"Loosely strung together on a scheme that plays the younger and older generations off against each other, it sizzles with musical montage, tricky electronics and sleight-of-hand lyrics that range between 1920s ricky-tick and 1960s raga."

From Time Magazine Archive

From the ricky-tick Honey Pie to the West Indian Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da to the schmaltzy Good Night, a sweeping panorama of pop genres unfolds in parodies, pastiches, takeoffs and put-ons.

From Time Magazine Archive

They wore sequined leotards and yellow-feathered headdresses, and they dipped and swooped together to the ricky-tick tempo of an 18-piece band playing Dixieland.

From Time Magazine Archive

In one swoop, he freed the piano from the ricky-tick niceties of ragtime and set a standard that ever since has influenced jazz pianists, notably Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum and Erroll Garner.

From Time Magazine Archive