boob n.2
1. (orig. US, also boobist) a fool, an idiot.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 37: ‘Once a boob, always a boob, an’ that's no dopetown dream’. | |
| ‘Annye’s Ma’ Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 271: That jerry to all trades, that blundering bonehead boob, the property man. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Bulldog Drummond 140: You fool [...] You poor, damned boob! | |
| ‘Score Another One for Barnum’ in Argosy All-Story 11 Sept. 🌐 And the biggest boobist of all is the gent who says he ain’t, never was, and never will be [a sucker]. | |
| West Broadway 233: I thought with [...] pride and superiority of the poor boobs that would fall for that ride to-morrow. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 8 Sept. 3/2: He’s so wide that if it were raining soup the poor boob would be running round with a fork. | |
| Enter the Saint 34: I know you want more of me than my services in decoying boobs upstairs. | |
| On Broadway 22 Jan. [synd. col.] Anybody who lets a middleman sell the goods he puts out at $3.85 for 10 and 15 dollars more is a boob. | |
| Iceman Cometh Act I: pearl: We nailed a coupla all-night guys. margie: On Sixth Avenoo. Boobs from de sticks. | |
| Alcoholics (1993) 5: He had made Doc look like a [...] boob. | |
| Felony Tank (1962) 44: He was only some harmless boob. | |
| Listening to America 177: Man came along, the arrogant boob, and invented the idea of his importance in God’s eye. | |
| Boy Who Followed Ripley (1981) 163: Lots of detectives are boobs [...] Boobs! – I love American slang. | |
| Clockers 501: Why are you trying to make a fucking boob out of me? | |
| Stalker (2001) 307: Sure, let the whole world know I’m a total boob. | |
| Atomic Lobster 100: That’s it [...] I’m done with you boobs. |
2. (US) an inmate of a psychiatric institution.
| ‘A. Mutt’ [comic strip] Old Mutt is in the booby hatch. He got a great welcome from the boobs. |
3. (US tramp) an innocent, a potential victim of a thief.
| Wash. Times (DC) 10 Oct. 15/2: I held thw rubber pea in the crook of my finger while the whiskered boobs tried to guess which walnut shell it was under. | |
| Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 33: Boob. – An uninitiated person or a thieves’ victim. In general use by Americans as a slang term ; the underworld, however, places an entirely fresh meaning on it, and with a scornful context quite apart from the original meaning. |
4. an error, a blunder.
| Capt. Bulldog Drummond 144: They’re marvellous most of the time, but this was rather a boob. | |
 | My Guy 12 May n.p.: If you see someone making a boob on the box [KH]. | |
| Guardian Rev. 17 July 11: With so many dates flying around, a few boobs occur. |
In derivatives
stupid, foolish.
| ‘Assistant Murderer’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 159: Saying, in my boobish way, that I had been afraid she might do something reckless. | |
| Honest Rainmaker (1991) 119: The journalistic furor about Red Alexis [...] and the resulting gusher of boobish Tease [i.e. money]. | |
| Gaily, Gaily 122: It was a boobish time, even my youth could note its nonsense. |
In compounds
(US) a psychiatric institution.
| Pimp 151: They in the boob box right now babbling. |
a foolish action, an error, a blunder.
| Trying Out Torchy 322: Was it a boob play? Am I lettin’ myself in bad all round? | |
| Ashton-Kirk, Criminologist 282: I knew that to gun him would be a boob play. | |
| Reminscences of a Stock Operator (2004) 222/2: It was a boob play and he paid a big price. His ability, natural aptitude and vast experience didn’t help him. | |
| Gringo Privateer 90: You heard me pull off a boob play. |
(US) a nightclub or similar place of entertainment where gullible customers are defrauded of their cash.
| Arrowsmith 291: I suppose this Rouncefield Clinic is probably nothing but a gilded boob-trap. | |
| Night Club Era 240: Texas Guinan[’s] greeting ‘Hello, sucker!’ became the watchword of boob-traps from Wall Street to Hollywood. | |
| , | | DAS. |
1. (orig. US) television; thus boob tuber, one who watches television a lot.
| Penelope 110: Ah find that ah sho’ nuff can find out a lot about you humans by watchin yo’ boob tube. | |
| Women’s Room (1978) 115: I sit and watch the stupid boob tube. | |
| Newsweek 26 Oct. 3: No longer do you hear the term ‘videot’ or ‘boob tuber’. | |
| Llama Parlour 224: What’s on the old boob-tube? | |
| ‘A Game of Checkers’ Oz ser. 1 ep. 8 [TV script] he used to play the cello, till somebody smashed it. Now he sits in front of the boob tube all day. | |
| Stalker (2001) 162: She parked herself in front of the TV and turned on the boob tube with the remote control. | |
| Mad mag. Jan. 37: Anna Nicole has forever redefined the term ‘boob tube’. | |
| Courier-Post (Camden, NJ) 25 Sept. 53/3: Television is the boob tube for many a reason. Among them a sitcom stinker from 1966. |
2. see also under boob n.3