# How long was ‘dolls’ used as a term for prescription drugs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179 "2017-02-18T21:15:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179/1 "2017-02-18T21:15:07Z")

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In Jacqueline Susanne’s novel Valley of the Dolls, the term ‘dolls’ refers not to attractive women, but to the prescription amphetamines and barbiturates which the characters used during the 20 year period from 1945 to 1965. How long did this term persist? I was born in ’61 and have never heard it used in this manner. When did the term fall into disuse?

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**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179/2 "2017-02-18T22:03:44Z")

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I only ever heard anybody refer to it that way in that book, or when talking about that book. So I’m kinda interested in the answer to this, too.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179/3 "2017-02-18T22:17:06Z")

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Huh! I always that doll as in that book’s title referred to "dress someone or oneself smartly and attractively. “I got all dolled up for a party”

So that the book was about women totally concerned with makeup, fancy clothes, etc.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-was-dolls-used-as-a-term-for-prescription-drugs/780179/4 "2017-02-18T22:21:33Z")

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The relevant definition in the Historical Dictionary of American Slang is:

> [@](#):
>
> 1. [said to have been **coined by Jacqueline Susann** in her novel _Valley of the Dolls_ (1966); but cf. DOLLY 2a.] a tablet or capsule containing a barbiturate or occ. an amphetamine.

(my emphasis)  
There is only one citation other than the novel, from a 1974 book called _Mind Drugs_, which just seems to be a list of drug names.

The definition of “dolly” referenced above is:

> [@](#):
>
> 2a. Dolophine, a trademark for a brand of methadone; a capsule containing Dolophine or an equivalent product.

The first citation for “dolly” is from a letter by W.S. Burroughs in 1954.