to get on one's soapbox
- idiom
- Informal
:
subirse a su caja de madera
- So Adams gets on his soapbox and tells me about what a feckless and irresponsible asshole he was in college, and how it's the fault of those less successful than him that they aren't as daring.
Examples
-
When asked about health care, David eagerly got on his soapbox and shared his views on the matter.
-
During the meeting, Maria got on her soapbox to advocate for environmental protection.
-
The activist got on her soapbox at the rally, passionately urging the crowd to support the new legislation.
Synonyms
220
3.4
To say your opinion or feelings openly even when it is difficult
135
3.1
Give your opinion clearly and firmly even when it is difficult
70
4.8
To speak loudly and angrily for a long time
21
3.5
Say what you think openly
15
3.2
To say your thoughts or views aloud in public
13
8.7
To speak in a self-important way as if always right
To express your personal views about a subject
Antonyms
How Forceful
- Informal
70
4.8
- Informal
192
3.8
- Informal
135
3.1
24
7.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'get', 'on', 'one's' and the literal 'soapbox' (a small platform for public speaking) lets a learner infer the basic image of standing up to speak, so the general notion of speaking publicly is relatively transparent. However, the idiomatic nuance — speaking at length in a forceful or moralizing way — and the cultural/less-frequent item 'soapbox' are not fully predictable from the parts for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially compositional.
Etymology
The phrase get on one's soapbox comes from a simple picture: people used to stand on a wooden soapbox, a box that had held soap, so they could be higher and speak to a crowd. So today, to get on one's soapbox means 'to speak publicly or for a long time' about your opinions, often in a strong or excited way.