Oxford Dictionary:  having or characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits or aspects

Urban dictionary:  something that is strange/not normal but cool

Quirky is a label you hear used a lot these days.  Quirky singers, quirky actors, quirky writers.   But what does it actually mean?  I think I know what quirky looks like if I see it, but I couldn’t tell you what marks it out as such if you asked me.   I’m actively drawn to quirky, both in art and in real life.  I think I might be a little quirky, although to say so might be the equivalent of the most boring person in the office shouting ‘I’m mad, I am!’  And if I knew exactly what is quirky and what isn’t, I’d be able to say it more certainly.

So why are we suddenly so aware of quirkiness?  I suspect we’re no more eccentric than we ever were before, only now eccentricity is greeted with an indulgent smile instead of being whispered about over the garden fence by the neighbours.  The difference is, it’s cool to be quirky, in the same way it’s now cool to be a geek.  It’s possible the two go hand in hand.

Ok, I admit it, this is another one of those posts where I’m losing my way.  And is also a thinly veiled excuse to include a photo of The Mighty Boosh, because I love them.  And they’re quirky.  I think…

So, how do you define quirky?