Meanings
- uncountableThe gratuitous use of scantily clad women to appeal to television audiences.
Alexander worries about unisex bathrooms and jiggle television.
2013, Robert B. Parker, The Widening Gyre, →ISBN3 more examples
It's hard to believe that in these days of X-rated motels, jiggle television, and sexual relief through vending machines . . . that some women can be sexually deprived, but it's true.
1981, Phyllis Diller, The joys of aging--and how to avoid them: can sex keep you young?, →ISBNFor Paul Klein, as astute an observer as there was inside television, the defining programming trend of the time was sex, particularly in the form of "jiggle television."
2003, Josh Ozersky, Archie Bunker's America: TV in an Era of Change, 1968-1978, →ISBN"Classic jiggle television," he explained as he cupped his hands to create a platform for her foot.
2004, Kelsey Roberts, Bedside Manner: The Landry Brothers, →ISBN, page 88Synonyms: jiggle TV
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe gratuitous use of scantily clad women to appeal to television audiences.
Origin
Coined by Paul Klein in the 1970s to criticize the strategy of the ABC television network under Fred Silverman; three successful series on ABC at the time - Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, and Three's Company - were described as having spearheaded this term.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
jiggle television. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jiggle%20television
“jiggle television.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jiggle%20television. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jiggle television,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jiggle%20television.
Source: jiggle television on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.