boob tube en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
* (television): An allusion to the idiocy of television programming and the supposed audience for such (boobs) and that the televisions of that era used cathode ray tube (CRT) vacuum tube displays. First use appears c. 1959, in the The Herald Journal. * (clothing): Due to the clothing being a tube-like garment that covers the breasts (boobs) of a woman. First use appears c. 1977, in the Daily Mail.
Meanings
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(dated, derogatory, informal) A television.
Pictured on boob-tubes innumerable, babbled on travelling transistors Australia-wide.
1970, Barry Oakley, chapter XLI, in A Salute to the Great McCarthy, Penguin Books Australia, published 1971, page 187:“Hey, guys. We were just watching some boob tube over here. Out of earshot, if you were wondering.” “Yeah! It's a show where celebrities dive into a pool and get scores. So...” “So, that's what we are doing.”
2016 June 27, Brian Boyle, “Standard Deviation” (6:41 from the start), in American Dad!, season 13, episode 22, spoken by Klaus Heisler (Dee Bradley Baker):
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(informal) A type of woman's upper body garment consisting of a taut band of cloth around the breasts and back.
A midget prostitute in heels and a boob tube was walking on the bar.
2005, Paul Carter, chapter VII, in Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 92:At the same time, Tara puts her arms into her boob tube.
2015, Oscar Phoenix, This Hostage to Fortune:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| boob tubes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
tube top · idiot box · zombie box
Translations (8)
ru я́щик (slightly derogatory term for television) · de Glotze (slightly derogatory term for television) · es caja tonta (slightly derogatory term for television) · el χαζοκούτι (slightly derogatory term for television) · fr téloche (slightly derogatory term for television) · sv dumburk (slightly derogatory term for television) · fi töllötin (slightly derogatory term for television) · es caja idiota (slightly derogatory term for television)