boob tube

English

A woman in a tube top.

Etymology

• (television): An allusion to the idiocy of television programming and the supposed audience for such (boobs) and that televisions of the era used cathode ray tube (CRT) vacuum tube displays.
• (clothing): From it being a tube-like garment that covers the breasts (boobs) of a woman.

Noun

boob tube (plural boob tubes)

1. (US, informal, dated, derogatory) A television.

   Synonym: idiot box

2. (British, informal) A type of woman's upper body garment consisting of a taut band of cloth around the breasts and back.

   Synonym: (US) tube top

   • 2015, Oscar Phoenix, This Hostage to Fortune:

     At the same time, Tara puts her arms into her boob tube.

Usage notes

The word used as a synonym for television was heard as early as 1965 on an episode of The Munsters. It was probably in use before that time.

Translations

slightly derogatory term for television

• Finnish: töllötin (fi)
• French: téloche (fr) f
• German: Glotze (de) f
• Greek: χαζοκούτι (el) n (chazokoúti)
• Russian: я́щик (ru) m (jáščik)
• Spanish: caja idiota f, caja tonta (es)
• Swedish: dumburk (sv) c

women's garment — see tube top