To ask what you mean by 'quirky'?

[littlemissbumshine]

I see it everywhere on here, to describe both schools and people, I'm not sure whether to take it as negative or positive and what its exact meaning is! I've even seen quirky on here as meaning a child has slight SEN

I think that very conventional people describe others as quirky as it justifies their own opinions. Sometimes a family member can feel like they are the odd one out, especially if they are artistic or an introvert who is surrounded by extroverts, for example. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I think generally it's used as a positive. Unconventional and fun.

Teacher described my 5yo (NT and no concerns at all) as quirky at the last parents evening.

I posted about it here.

Seems like some kind of code word to me, the upshot was people thought it meant my child could be an annoying little shit - they weren't wrong

Here you go, here's my old thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3767986-Teacher-describing-child-as-quirky

I have been called quirky all my life, it never bothered me until now when I’m beginning to notice I’m different from other people. I wouldn’t have noticed this if my new work place hadn’t of suggested that I could be on the autistic spectrum. Now I’m more aware of how I come across and before I was confident as I didn’t care what others thought. Now I do and I will now associate the word negatively.

I get described as quirky by my colleagues I don’t agree but I don’t take offence.
It’s because I’m still big into the punk scene so go to lots of dingy basements to see bands no one else there listens to, have a couple of piercings and tattoos.

Quirky being positive or negative can depend on context.

Usually it's positive and if I was to ever describe a student as quirky it would be a positive trait to appreciate their differences, unusual interests etc.

I think there's a big difference between quirky being used to describe someone else and someone self identifying as quirky. The latter seem to crave attention and want others to know and appreciate just how different and unique and out of the box the they are.

Just means slightly different to the norm - everyone probably has their own quirky thoughts as to what is quirky so no help there

The only universally accepted truth is that if someone describes THEMSELVES as quirky, it means that they are a. almost certainly not quirky in the slightest and b. are like nails down a blackboard on the good company front.

It’s impossible to give it one meaning really as it depends on the context it’s used in and the intention of who is saying it. Some people may use it to mean something/one which/who is offbeat, with slightly unconventional interests. But equally other people use it to mean ‘weird’.

I think mostly it’s used in a positive context though.

Anyone who followed Style and Beauty advice would quickly be labelled as such.

I would say it means a bit odd or unusual - it would depend on the context as to whether it was a negative or not. I wouldn't want to live in a house with quirky decor, for example...

My DD is quirky. To me it means just on the right side of unusual. It's generally a positive meaning, as otherwise you would say weird or odd, which to me has slightly negative meanings.

Slightly eccentric behaviour, taste & values, but not totally & delightfully bonkers eccentric . (which is more enjoyable, my Auntie was wonderfully eccentric & I loved her for it).

Either 'irritating' (with undertones of 'look at me, look at meee'), or a euphemism for weird.

DS14 is quirky - in a very lovely way. He has autism and we've known about it since he was tiny, and since the moment he could walk, talk and interact it's been the word for him. He just dances to his own rhythm.

DS9 is also quirky and I find it odd because I can't tell if he's innately quirky or has learned to be quirky because his older sibling (who he is madly in love with) has quirks.

I wouldn't ever say it with unkindness or nastiness - those who do need to have a word with themselves.

In my industry there’s quite a few “quirky” characters. People use the term to mean not mainstream - have a different dress sense/ sense of humour / interests, and aren’t self-conscious about that fact. Not necessarily either negative or positive.

So there’s a woman who dresses all in one colour, a different colour of the rainbow, each day. So on Monday she’ll wear a red dress, red tights, red heels, a red jacket and bring in a red handbag. Same on Tuesday with Orange, etc. She’s always off doing “unusual” hobbies during her holidays, like training with a circus troupe.

Then there’s a guy who just comes up with the most random ideas for our team that have nothing to do with our job but everyone goes along with them because “that’s Bob!” So for example he’ll bring in 200 cupcakes unannounced and set up a “who can eat the most in 10 mins?” competition that afternoon. Or he’ll pick a random tv show and buy us all costumes to wear from it at our social evening. And he only eats very specific food groups (not for dietary reasons). He’s one of the more junior members of the team and very self-deprecating and I think he just likes connecting people and has an unusual way of going about it!

Different in an interesting way.

Weird normally

Euphemism for weird

Unusual/different

@MashedPotatoBrainz

your son sounds great, good for him, mine sadly cares a bit too much sometimes about being different, apart from wheh he thinks that its everyone else being 'quirky' ( though he could have a point there!)

It's a supposedly more benign way of saying odd. But it means odd just the same.

Depends on the context but I take it to mean different/not mainstream/not run of the mill/not uniform or standard.
In other words someone/something a bit different, with an individual quality or characteristic.

We use it the same way they do on Big Bang Theory. Quirky means perfectly capable of functioning in mainstream society, but not really fitting in with mainstream society. The phrase used to be “absent-minded professor”. My child and I both fit this description.

Peculiar
Unusual
Individual

It's not word I use regularly. I would mean it in a positive and maybe affectionate way.