What determines something as common and tacky

Oh we need Gabriellahere for this one...come back soon!?

Lucca

I’ve not heard the word common used for about fifty years,

Saw a couple of young women on their way into town last Friday. Politely I would describe their figures as extremely ....um....generous, and their outfits (bright red hot pants and boob tube for example) as um....ill-advised
But I never said tacky or the other word.

So you mentally judged them, but didn't actually use any words to do so. That's OK then

I’ve not heard the word common used for about fifty years,

Saw a couple of young women on their way into town last Friday. Politely I would describe their figures as extremely ....um....generous, and their outfits (bright red hot pants and boob tube for example) as um....ill-advised
But I never said tacky or the other word.

Oh dear what a minefield. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.

I dare say most of us have our private opinions about that - I know I do - but we wouldn’t normally voice them because it’s in poor taste/considered bad manners. Not to mention that we’d more than likely get flamed on here!

Both ‘common’ and ‘tacky’ are, on the surface, expressions that denote poor taste. The underlying sentiment in both is ‘I’m a better/more intelligent/more cultured person than anyone who likes that stuff’. The use of the words says as much about the person who says them as the object they describe.