Why did/do people refer to TV as "boob tube"?
Why did/do people refer to TV as "boob tube"?
I've heard this phrase so many times in my life I dont even think about it, but the more I dwell on it, I dont really get it
"Boob" was/is slang for "stupid person," so the implication was that watching too much TV would make you stupid
39 0 ReplyI should add that the "tube" part comes from TVs back then using cathode ray tube (CRT) technology
15 0 ReplyOh that makes sense! Where does the tube come from though?
8 0 ReplyCathode Ray Tubes. Its how TVs used to work
27 0 ReplyTVs used to be a sealed particle accelerator. You should read up on them, it's fascinating.
11 0 Reply
My mom calls it the idiot box. Aptly named, i suppose.
7 0 ReplyI've also heard "squack box" implying it's a loud obnoxious thing. Conjures up images of the bouncing TV in the Calvin and Hobbes comics
6 0 Reply
Also, if you stay up late enough, you might be able to see a boob on some channels. Maybe. When you're a teenager, you hope. ;)
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I believe it's because watching TV dulls your mind. So it turns you into a "boob" (older term to describe someone who isn't very smart). Tube obviously refers to the vacuum tube inside older televisions that displayed the images. So boob tube is just saying that the TV turns you into a dumb person lol.
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