Meanings
plural Third World briefcases
- humorousoffensiveslangA portable ghetto blaster.
"Do you have a cassette tape player?" "I've got a Third World briefcase," Katie said to Agnes, and then turned scarlet, thinking the black officer would take offense.
1991, Ralph McInerny, Judas Priest, page 1221 more example
Be a bum in this part of town, he knew, keep rhythm with your fingers, sport a Walkman or a third-world briefcase—people might shrug, but they would never remember your face.
1987, Thomas Caplan, Parallelogram, page 121
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
So called from the size and shape (with carrying handle) and their stereotypical popularity among poor black youth.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Third World briefcase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Third%20World%20briefcase
“Third World briefcase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Third%20World%20briefcase. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Third World briefcase,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Third%20World%20briefcase.
Source: Third World briefcase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.