Why is "a potato" the stereotypical metaphor for a lazy person?

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I mean, a potato is no less energetic than a beetroot or a rutabaga, let alone any other vegetable! What have potatoes done to have earned such a bad reputation?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:31 (nineteen years ago)

Nobody sits on the couch in front of the TV all day eating rutabaga chips.

― Dan (Any More Questions, Finnish Jerry Seinfeld?) Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

beetroot crisps though

― Ed (dali), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:37 (nineteen years ago)

LOL @ http://www.englishdaily626.com/slang.php?029 :

"Etymology: A 'potato' is a vegetable that just sits there, doing nothing."

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

(as opposed to the other vegetables?)

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

runner beans

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

they are fruit

― Ed (dali), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

well potatoes don't even have to climb anywhere, they just sit in its bed of mud all its life

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

Carrots are totally hyper.

― Dan (Don't Even Get Me Started On Kale) Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

turnips?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

Your search - "showboating vegetables" - did not match any documents.

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

because when you start to get fat and nasty, you don't turn bright red - but you do start to get all those little growthy things everywhere.

― DAVE, for #1 Hits of yesterday and today! (dave225.3), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

My cat is a retarded potato

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

A potato lives in the dark, and grows rotund and bulky through seeping up nutrients.

Also, lots of junk-food contains potato. Perhaps you are what you eat.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah. Especially when it's a pasty-complexioned, shapeless lumpy blob.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

*drool*

― StanM (StanM), Friday, 9 June 2006 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

couch carrot sounded too sexual

― Mr Jones (Mr Jones), Friday, 9 June 2006 14:40 (nineteen years ago)

Other vegetables can't sit on the couch watching television all day ... because they don't have eyes!

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 9 June 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

Omigod you guys that is SO funny.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's great.

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:29 (nineteen years ago)

You can insult Utahans by calling them "carrot-snappers," did you know that? Way more biting that "reactionary inbred cult polygamists," trust me.

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

Potatoes just connote "stupid" to me. I think that's why DEVO chose them as symbols of de-evolution. They are hard to respect.Even at 50 feet across they are not intimidating:

http://www.worldslargestthings.com/washington/potatoSubheader.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

Would you break for this?

http://www.americanprofile.com/issues/20010520/images/story_874_photo.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.eastidahocu.org/p-ncspud02-3.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

That thing looks more like the California Raisins' grandma.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

That thing....is terrifying!

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:55 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000929/aponline124748_000.htm

― lord pooperton (ex machina), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:56 (nineteen years ago)

Mormon missionaries wrestling over a pit of mashed potatoes!

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3736832-lg.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:57 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/darth-tater/eat-tater.gif

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 16:59 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/07/14/quayle/potato.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/07/14/quayle/quayle.jpg

http://discount-used-cars.easycgi.com/spud/PIC03%20-%20Potato%20with%20Quayl.jpg

― Abbott (Abbott), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:01 (nineteen years ago)

hahahah! "Finnish Jerry Seinfeld" hahahaha!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060608/capt.73d6cdd68c3e45a99f72130debf0dbe6.mideast_israel_soaking_sumos_jrl127.jpg?x=380&y=239&sig=NrpLEimshMXETLGnVDJ0eA--

― Mr Jones (Mr Jones), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

it's not the metaphor simply for a lazy person. it's the metaphor for the result of physical inactivity - a bulbous appearance.

― subcommandante obvioso (gabbneb), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

Kathy Szarko, the artist who designed "Tourist Tater," said that she meant no offense and that several other spud statues are a similar color.

"He's a potato. That's why he's brown," Szarko said.

I'm all for the fight the against racism, but this comment just made me laugh out loud.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 08:41 (nineteen years ago)

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