Informal and friendly in style, or relating to traditional folk art, music, or culture in a way that feels genuine and unpretentious.
From 'folk' plus the suffix '-y' (creating adjectives meaning 'having the quality of'). The term emerged in the mid-20th century to describe a deliberate aesthetic or tone.
There's something fascinating about 'folky' as a style—it tries to capture authenticity and simplicity, but the moment you try to be folky, you risk being fake. The best folky things (like authentic folk music) happen when people aren't thinking about being folky at all.
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