Green’s Dictionary of Slang

pretentious, overly intellectual or artistic, exhibiting superficial form and little positive content etc.

1938		(ref. to 1920s) R. McAlmon Being Geniuses Together 48: Arty-farty. Broad-rimmed hat, flowing tie, longish hair, velvet coat – the gesture.
1951		R. Brooks Producer 297: You want to make pictures for arty-farty theaters? Go ahead. And good luck, you'll need it.
1959		M. Richler Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1964) 225: You’re being too arty-farty.
1962		R. Hauser Homosexual Society 83: I often wonder what they really feel about the arty-tarty crowd I have been knocking about with.
1977		A. Bleasdale No More Sitting on the Old School Bench (1979) 17: The state of you, arty-farty, weak as weasel’s piss.
1980		L. Kwesi Johnson ‘Independent Intavenshan’ in Inglan Is A Bitch 18: Di Communist Pawty, cho, dem too awty-fawty.
1982		Woroni (Canberra) 1 Sept. 4/3: As for the ABC, that bastion of arty-farty wankery, that power-base of the Elitist-arty-poofta-wanker conspiracy.
1986		C. Bowles G’DAY 44: DAVO: Ow’s Shane? Eary landed onnis feet with this new job. LES: In with some arty farty advertisin mob.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 209: Some of the photographs were quote arty-farty unquote.
1995		D. Lodge Therapy (1996) 9: It was like being in one of those arty-farty movies where everything is shot from unusual angles.
1996		P. Howard The Joy (2015) [ebook] The Exorcist [...] had been banned everywhere, but somehow some film club or other was allowed to show it. Those arty-farty sorts can get around anything, you know.
1999		Indep. Rev. 17 Dec. 11: An arty-farty line he’s picked up from Dean.
2000		Indep. on Sun. Culture 30 Apr. 2: Neither does it seem likely that his recurrent snubbing will push him into uncomfortable arty-farty projects.
2000		P. Temple Dead Point (2008) [ebook] Bit of the poof in him, too. Arty-farty.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 13: Arty Farty Ngati Karate Club A pretentious group.
2006		G. Malkani Londonstani (2007) 119: Fine, you do this arty-farty nonsense.
2012		D. O’Donnell Locked Ward 4: It was a job I did find satisfying, the minute i dropped the arty-farty fantasies.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 128: [H]is twittish scoutmaster tendency. All that airy-fairy, arty-farty, singing-whilst-we-whittle-round-the campfire.