Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

ya-ta-ta

American  
[yah-tuh-tuh, yat-uh-tuh] / ˈyɑ tə tə, ˈyæt ə tə /

noun

Slang.

  1. empty conversation.

Etymology

Origin of ya-ta-ta

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; imitative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It had a big TV set going ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta in three glorious colors, and a jukebox that tried to drown out the TV with that lousy music they play.

From The Hated by Pohl, Frederik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.