ENGLISH
REFERENCE

couch potato

idiom
Meaning

A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, often watching television, eating snacks or drinking alcohol.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

From couch + potato; coined by Tom Iacino in 1976 as a pun on boob tuber (from boob tube (“television”) and tuber (“potato”)); trademarked by Robert Armstrong from 1976–91.

Examples
SIMPLE

My brother is a couch potato who watches TV all day.

CONTEXTUAL

After losing his job, he became a couch potato and rarely left the house.

COMPLEX

She had vowed to run marathons, yet by winter she had slipped into the habits of a couch potato, surrounded by empty snack bowls and half-finished series.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    hot potato

    An unwanted problem that is awkward or delicate.

  2. 02

    potato chaser

    An Asian person with a strong inclination and attraction toward white people.

© 2026 English Reference