What is a Boob Tube?
Boob tube is a noun that has two primary meanings, depending on geographic location. In the United States and Canada, the expression is used as slang for a television set, as in watching the :boob tube.” It was coined in the 1960s when early TV sets operated with cathode ray tubes. The expression was meant to characterize people who were watching TV as boobs, and it was usually conveyed with a derogatory or comedic slant. The term carries a double meaning in Canada, as well as South Africa, Great Britain and Australia, where boob tubes are tube tops, a type of women’s apparel. In this case, a boob tube is made of a simple band of elastic fabric that snugly encircles a woman’s torso. The word “boob” refers to female breasts, or “boobs.” Tube tops have no sleeves or collar, and are generally worn in warm weather or under a jacket. The use of the term boob tube emerged in the first few years of American television broadcasting when the medium was struggling to find artistic footing. Soap
