tallboy
noun
- a chest of drawers supported by a low stand.Compare highboy.
- a chest-on-chest.
Words nearby tallboy
ABOUT THIS WORD
What else does tallboy mean?
Where does tallboy come from?
Tallboys probably make you think of a big can of beer you might pick up at a gas station or corner store, but the term actually has an older relationship to alcohol than you may have guessed.
In the late 1600s, a tallboy was a type of glass or goblet or big pot of wine. The larger-than-average-can-of-beer sense of tallboy, as you probably guessed, is much more recent. It’s recorded in the 1950s. These cans are comparatively tall, and boy is apparently is a playful way of referring to the manageably big object.
How is tallboy used in real life?
A typical can of beer in the United States holds 12 ounces. Any can larger than that, from 16 ounces on up is generally referred to as a tallboy for its thin, tall shape. This is how this word is used most often in the United States. People often buy tallboys one or two at a time at convenient stores, as opposed to ordering a pint at a bar or getting a six-pack.
It's a tallboy can kind-of-day. Which would you choose? pic.twitter.com/Ldj9QFfpVJ
— Baxter Brewing Co. (@baxterbrewing) May 4, 2020
We've added three new, tallboy mixed cases to our web shop 💪
✔️Tallboy Mixed Dozen – https://t.co/eIJfbax5Cl
✔️Big Boy Mixed Dozen – https://t.co/d2L1sY2EXt
✔️Tallboy IPA Mix – https://t.co/njERDIlcFA
Plus we've a new 440ml version of Take-Home Taproom COMING SOON🤯 pic.twitter.com/lFfRwUXsXZ
— Rooster's Brewing Co (@RoostersBrewCo) May 1, 2020
Other large cans of beverages, such as soft drinks, energy drinks, or alcoholic seltzers, can also be referred to as tallboys, owing to their above-average size.
Bwcoming drunk off kombucha tallboy it’s what i deserve
— xtiniwini (@xtiniwini) May 5, 2020
Also called a highboy, a tallboy is also the name for a type of large chest of drawers on legs. Historically these items of furniture were very beautiful and ornate. In Australia, the U.K., and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, a tallboy most likely refers to a tall chest of drawers.
Burr Walnut Tallboy c1900 £1250 https://t.co/kqEdFi4dS6 #burrwalnut #burrwalnutchest #antiquechestofdrawers #antique #tallboy #chestonchest pic.twitter.com/6hhauMz9wk
— Sussex Antiques (@drewjo1) March 8, 2017
One particularly famous Tallboy was a massive bomb used by the British in World War II; it was able to plunge into the ground before exploding. Like the cans and chest of drawers, it was named for its tall, slender shape.
More examples of tallboy:
“Trike drank a tallboy, sent the e-mail, and then went home.”
—Josh Cook, An Exaggerated Murder, 2015
“Legendary Hip-Hop artist Big Boi and Budweiser have tag-teamed for a limited-edition Big Boi Tall Boy 25 oz. can.”
—Shawn Grant, The Source, October 2019