What is the origin of the term “brownie points”
Thank you,
JL:confused:
Definition according to the Dictionary of Slang:
brownie-point Noun. A hypothetical award for achievement, usually given as a backhanded compliment for sycophantic behaviour.
And the following definition on that page is:
brown-nose Verb. To overly praise or behave sycophantically, i.e. to ‘arse-lick’.
I, ahem, suspect that the two terms are closely related.
Note to Posters:
This was Double-posted. The other thread is here.
IANAModerator, but I thought this would save people confusion and trouble.
A brownie is a mythical fairie or sprite that was believed to do some helpful chores while the mortals slept. Thus, if you perform unsolicited work for somebody, you are said to be vying for brownie points, or simply behaving in the manner of a brownie.
What the exact value of an individual brownie point is, I don’t know. Maybe they can be traded in, like Green Stamps.
I’ll close this thread and direct replies to the thread linked to by wolfstu above.
DrMatrix - General Questions Moderator