tarted, ppl. a.
(ˈtɑːtɪd)
[f. tart v.2 2 + -ed1.]
a. Of a person: dressed up in a showy manner, gaudily adorned. Also without up.
| 1938 E. Bowen Death of Heart i. iii. 61 After dark, she [sc. London] is like a governess gone to the bad, in a Woolworth tiara, tarted up all wrong. 1952 D. Adams Murder, Maestro, Please xvi. 113 These tarted-up hags! 1972 ‘R. Crawford’ Whip Hand i. viii. 49, I know your natures, you tarted-up toffs. 1979 Even. Standard 13 Sept. 19/6 Prostitutes..are of the conventional kind, in high heeled shoes and characteristically ‘tarted’ both cosmetically and sartorially. |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1958 K. Amis I like it Here ii. 21 A collection of tarted-up reviews. 1967 Spectator 20 Oct. 455/3 The tarted-up village inn, remodelled with the single aim of attracting motor trade from a distance. 1972 Where? Mar. 96/3 ROSLA enthusiasts for tarted-up curricula need to heed the warning. 1981 J. Scott Distant View of Death xiv. 182 The tarted panda reversed..and drove in the wake of the quarry. 1983 Listener 21 July 33/2 At the other end of the spectrum of the Higher Rubbish—defined for the moment as tarted-up junk..—is Elizabeth Taylor in the vastly enjoyable, utterly brainless The VIPs. |