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 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 resembling a tube-like garment that covers the breasts (boobs) of a woman. First use appears c. 1977, in the Daily Mail.

Noun

boob tube (plural boob tubes)

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

   Synonyms: idiot box, zombie 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.

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