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]

Example Sentences

Co-founder Jerett Wasserman recorded a series of Instagram videos that decried the recalls as retaliation for questioning The Times’ reporting, and suggested the company was the target of “Culture Vulture’s.”

From Los Angeles Times

While he readily concedes that he is no culture vulture himself, Bloomberg sees the arts as an important driver of economic development, which guided his approach to cultural capital projects as mayor.

From New York Times

Supreme Court and lifelong culture vulture, was a Barbra Streisand fan.

From Washington Post

But one thing I surely developed as a young Jewish culture vulture were the tools to enjoy work by antisemites.

From New York Times

“I am not a culture vulture. I am a culture leech,” she said.

From Fox News