Modul 4: Idiom 18: Couch Potato

Couch Potato

Hi. Let’s take a look at the Idiom, ‘Couch Potato.’ What is a Couch Potato? Sounds strange right? Well, ‘Couch potato’ is a name given to someone who is lazy, and they sit down on the couch and do nothing all day but watch TV.

So what is the origin of this idiom?

This term came from an American comic artist in the 1970s who created two characters of which he named “Couch Potatoes.” The characters were famously lazy and inactive. Since then the phrase has been used to describe like-minded people who are lazy, sit on their couches all day watching tv and eating lots so they look more and more like a potato. The English word for couch is ‘sofa,’ although the English still use the phrase “Couch Potato.”

Take a look at our illustration.

Can you see what is being drawn? The artist is drawing two potatoes sitting on a sofa watching the TV. Look at the potatoes. What do their facial expressions look like? They are relaxed and look like they have no energy at all. The potatoes look as though they’ve been sitting on that sofa for a long time.

Here are some examples before we go to the concept questions…

“I’ve been working all week, I can’t wait to be a couch potato this weekend.”

“Jacob, get off the sofa! You’re turning into a couch potato.”

“I watch TV a lot but I play it in the background whilst I work so that I don’t become a couch potato.”

“I hate being a couch potato. I never watch TV for more than an hour at a time.”

“You’ll never pass your exam until you learn to stop being a couch potato and start revising!”

Great.

Let’s look at some situations and check your understanding:

1. Les likes to go running before work every morning.  It makes him feel wide awake for the rest of the day.  Is he a couch potato?  No.  Les likes to keep fit by exercising each morning.

    

2. Gary should be cleaning the garage, but he’s watching the television instead. “The only exercise you get is lifting the remote control!” his wife says.  Is Gary a couch potato?  Yes.  He spends a lot of time in front of the television instead of getting on with his chores.  Chores – A boring task that has to be done regularly.

    

3. Kim loves living in the countryside.  She enjoys going for long walks with her dog to look at the scenery.  Is Kim a couch potato?  No.  Kim likes being outdoors rather than sitting around indoors.

    

4. George is an expert at playing video games.  He spends long hours practising to make sure he always has a high score.  Is George a couch potato?  Yes.  Being so good at video games means that George doesn’t spend much time keeping physically fit.

    

5. Gerald goes to the gym three times a week and plays football on Sunday.  Is Gerald a couch potato?  No.  Gerald keeps himself in good shape so he is fit to play his favourite sport.

Great. Now go and practise. See you soon.