The meaning of the word "Soapbox"
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
You've got the top topic at the moment, so you have the prominence. This doesn't mean that you have anything intresting to say, or that you you won't get flamed for some rude comment. But you have prominence, you'r moment to shine. Actually, it is American slang, although I doubt there was ever a time that someone actually stood on a soap crate and preached thier opinion but ya never know. :) They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety. --Benjamin Franklin
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
It's usually used referring to someone who has contrived to make himself heard, though normally he wouldn't be, i.e., he stood up on a soapbox before beginning his rant, thus bringing attention to himself and increasing his audience. Usually slightly derogatory. And, this is sort of the virtual equivilant, a place where everyone is free to speak or rant about whatever, and can be praised or boo'd or ignored, as appropriate.
---------------- Shog9 ---------------- ------- Drink Coca-Cola ------- ---- Use SciTE ----
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
There's a park in London where a common practice is for people to stand on a box and just start speaking their mind. Others can listen if they like. Thus, if you get up on your soapbox (metaphorically) you're just blabbing about whatever topic you feel like talking about. --Mike-- Just released - RightClick-Encrypt v1.4 - Adds fast & easy file encryption to Explorer My really out-of-date homepage Sonork-100.19012 Acid_Helm
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
You must remember that soapboxes were once very well made from light materials, so they they were good to use as a quick platform solution. Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
In early American history soap was shipped in crates, or soapboxes. These were readily found whenever some snake oil salesman wanted to hawk his wares in the town square, and upended, made fine platforms for a quick sales pitch. Religious revivalist preachers used them, as well, to address the throngs of the semi-faithful in the wilderness, elevating themselves a bit so as to be better heard as they delivered their harangues of hell, fire, and brimstone. Today it's a derogatory term used to refer to a person who has unusual skill in making an ass of himself in public; a person said to be getting on his soapbox refers to one who is about to make an asinine speech or monologue that everyone has heard before, and no one wants to hear again. In reference to CP, it's a forum where you are welcome to say anything, regardless of how stupid it may be, without the interference of a moderator. Posts in the Lounge are supposed to be civil, thoughtful, and unrelated (except in general terms) to programming. Rants and flames are supposed to be kept in the Soapbox to protect the innocent and intelligent, but there seems to have been some leakage of late. Hopefully that leak wil be plugged soon... "Just looking for loopholes..." - W. C. Fields, upon being caught reading a Bible.
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In early American history soap was shipped in crates, or soapboxes. These were readily found whenever some snake oil salesman wanted to hawk his wares in the town square, and upended, made fine platforms for a quick sales pitch. Religious revivalist preachers used them, as well, to address the throngs of the semi-faithful in the wilderness, elevating themselves a bit so as to be better heard as they delivered their harangues of hell, fire, and brimstone. Today it's a derogatory term used to refer to a person who has unusual skill in making an ass of himself in public; a person said to be getting on his soapbox refers to one who is about to make an asinine speech or monologue that everyone has heard before, and no one wants to hear again. In reference to CP, it's a forum where you are welcome to say anything, regardless of how stupid it may be, without the interference of a moderator. Posts in the Lounge are supposed to be civil, thoughtful, and unrelated (except in general terms) to programming. Rants and flames are supposed to be kept in the Soapbox to protect the innocent and intelligent, but there seems to have been some leakage of late. Hopefully that leak wil be plugged soon... "Just looking for loopholes..." - W. C. Fields, upon being caught reading a Bible.
Do you know of any proof that the word is of US origins, because it's welll used in British English as well ? Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
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There's a park in London where a common practice is for people to stand on a box and just start speaking their mind. Others can listen if they like. Thus, if you get up on your soapbox (metaphorically) you're just blabbing about whatever topic you feel like talking about. --Mike-- Just released - RightClick-Encrypt v1.4 - Adds fast & easy file encryption to Explorer My really out-of-date homepage Sonork-100.19012 Acid_Helm
It is Speakers Corner, I believe in Hyde Park. Elaine (fluffy tigress emoticon) Would you like to meet my teddy bear ?
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Ok. I demand an explanation! I just looked up the word "Soapbox" on dict.org. This is what I got:
soapbox
n 1: a crate for packing soap
2: a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
prominence to the person on it [syn: dais, podium, pulpit,
rostrum, ambo, stump]First, this isn't a crate, nor do I see any soap. Second, judging by the contents on this board, I don't see anyone beeing raised and given prominence. Most posts here are even worse rants than in the lounge. My guess is that "Soapbox" is slang for something. Care to enlighten a poor swede? :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
who cared to explain for me. :) Preferred storyline: - I am your father. Search your feelings and you'll know it's the truth. Together we can rule this galaxy like father and son. - Ok dad. Let's kick some butt!
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Do you know of any proof that the word is of US origins, because it's welll used in British English as well ? Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
I really don't know of any such proof, or if one is even possible. It seems more likely to me that the term is, in fact, of British origin. The term quite likely predates the founding of the American colonies by quite a margin, as soapboxes were probably among the cargoes imported at first from Europe. It's not hard to imagine the soapbox being used in the Empire for the same purposes as here - they are quite handy as makeshift podia. "One man's Theology is another man's belly laugh" - Lazarus Long
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Do you know of any proof that the word is of US origins, because it's welll used in British English as well ? Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
I was just thinking the same thing ;) cheers, Chris Maunder
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I really don't know of any such proof, or if one is even possible. It seems more likely to me that the term is, in fact, of British origin. The term quite likely predates the founding of the American colonies by quite a margin, as soapboxes were probably among the cargoes imported at first from Europe. It's not hard to imagine the soapbox being used in the Empire for the same purposes as here - they are quite handy as makeshift podia. "One man's Theology is another man's belly laugh" - Lazarus Long
On the contrary Roger, it's well known that Europeans don't bathe very often and never have. Thus soapboxes would have been in short supply in their heritage. ;P ;P ;P
<DUCKS and RUNS>Mike Mullikin :beer: You can't really dust for vomit. Nigel Tufnel - Spinal Tap
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On the contrary Roger, it's well known that Europeans don't bathe very often and never have. Thus soapboxes would have been in short supply in their heritage. ;P ;P ;P
<DUCKS and RUNS>Mike Mullikin :beer: You can't really dust for vomit. Nigel Tufnel - Spinal Tap
They did occasionally bathe their pets, however, else they never would have invented the stuff.:) In fact, I read somewhere that they still occasionally bathe pets... an old tradition it seems.