sticky

[Cognitivist-to-become]

Hello,
I have serious problems to understand the word: "sticky". I am working on an article on colours (especially on pink). Pink is twice described as being sticky:
"Those who don’t like pink might say that it’s childish, soft, pretentious and sticky".
Another time sticky stands in opposition to "divine" (it is a kind of headline: PINK: STICKY OR DIVINE?). I do not have more context, unfortunately. I have consulted the Net and found that "sticky" may (among other meanings) mean "embarassing, awkward" ("a sticky question"). Do you, Dear Native Speakers, think that this meaning applies here? If not, how to make sense of it? Thanks for your help.
Magdalena

 

[bibliolept]

Sticky can have a variety of negative meanings. From M-W:

4 a: disagreeable, unpleasant <came to a sticky end>
b: awkward, stiff
c: difficult, problematic <a sticky situation>
5: excessively sentimental : cloying

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky

Of these, the writer might mean "cloying."

Frankly, it would help to know whether the writer speaks AE or BE.

 

[Cognitivist-to-become]

Wow, why haven't I got there? I think it suits my text perfectly well.
As far as AE/BE is concerned... I believe the text was written by.. the Spanish , but to me it looks rather BE.

 

[Gwan]

Sticky can have a variety of negative meanings. From M-W:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky

Of these, the writer might mean "cloying."

Frankly, it would help to know whether the writer speaks AE or BE.

Not that I doubt the dictionary or Bibliolept, but I personally think I've never seen 'sticky' used to mean excessively sentimental. This may just be a first. In any case, I'd go out and start using it in that sense with extreme care!

 

[Cognitivist-to-become]

I personally think I've never seen 'sticky' used to mean excessively sentimental.

Nor have I
But the longer I think about it, the more sense it makes to me. In Polish we have a word "przesłodzony" that means literally: "containing too much sugar,sweeteners", but refers to excessively sentimental things. Pink colour is often associated with sweetness and candy and it's not a long way from sweets to stickyness, am I right? (think of cotton candy on your fingers )
But this is just my crazy hypothesis. Thanks for help.

 

[bibliolept]

You might consider "cutesy":

: self-consciously or excessively cute

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutesy

 

[ewie]

Well, it's definitely negative anyway, Cog2B. I'd say it means a combination of sickly sweet (like candy-floss), maybe girly, and possibly Mr.Lept's cutesy.