cultural touchstone
Common cultural anchor
A cultural touchstone is a widely recognized reference point—a film, song, book, event, or phrase—that members of a culture share and use to connect with one another.
The touchstone tests whether someone belongs to a group or generation: For millennials, dial-up internet sounds are a cultural touchstone.
The term draws on the original touchstone, a stone used to test gold's purity.
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- household nameWidely recognized person or brand
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
zeitgeist · classic · defining · water cooler moment · moment · watershed · before and after · phenomenon · must-see TV · nostalgia · shared · shared experience · memory · collective memory · generational · coming of age · collective · quote
cultural touchstonedeep cut
Obscure album track
arcana · inside joke · unknown quantity · obscurantism · private joke
cultural touchstoneflash in the pan
Short-lived success
trivia · passing fancy · footnote · one-hit wonder · novelty
cultural, culture, cultures, cultured, culturing, cultivate, cultivated, cultivation, cultivator