The Lazy Origins of the Phrase ‘Couch Potato’

The phrase "couch potato" is used to mean a lazy person, and it was first coined in 1976 after it was used as an offhand comment between friends Tom lacino and Robert Armstrong. Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out explains the origin of the term and the surprising legal battle around it.

If you want to call someone lazy, a time-honoured way to do so would be to call them a "couch potato". But why is it we compare lazy people to potatoes and why on Earth did some random guy own the trademark rights to such a silly sounding expression?

Related Laughing Squid Posts

• AsapSCIENCE Explores the Science Behind Laziness
• LEGO Sculptures That Portray Iconic Superheroes and Movie Characters as Lazy Couch Potatoes
• How Potatoes Came to Be Called Spuds