# "She's a Betty"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980 "2012-08-19T16:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GregE625](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@GregE625](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GregE625)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/1 "2012-08-19T16:52:55Z")
Anyone know the true origin of the phrase “She’s a Betty” and it’s meaning? I’ve found references to Betty Cooper from the Archie comics, Betty Grable, Betty Boop and even Bettie Page. Definitions range from “an attractive woman” to “a plain woman” and very few references to any actual source. One website only cited the movie “Clueless,” which couldn’t have been the origin of the phrase. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/2 "2012-08-19T16:55:14Z")
Cute. From Betty Rubble from the Flintstones. That’s how it was used and defined when I was growing up. Vs. a **Lisa** who was a cute skank, from Paulie Shore… ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/3 "2012-08-19T17:01:59Z")
Betty Grable? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/4 "2012-08-19T17:05:57Z")
I remember a guy who, when he saw an attractive female, would say, “Helllooooo, Betty!”. No idea where it came from. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/5 "2012-08-19T20:47:31Z")
I always think of that term as surfer slang dudespeak. Keanu Reeves (if he weren’t gay): “Whoa…_Betty_!” /Keanu ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/6 "2012-08-19T21:35:48Z")
When I was a kid (late 80s/early 90s), around here a Betty was a girl who dressed like the scene but didn’t really participate. The idea was that she was just there for the guys. Usually heard as skatebetty (dressed like a skateboarder, hung out with the skateboarders, but did not actually ride). So, kind of an insult. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/7 "2012-08-19T22:00:28Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I always think of that term as surfer slang dudespeak. > > Keanu Reeves (if he weren’t gay): “Whoa…_Betty_!” > > /Keanu [Or Brendan Fraser](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oF25IsGjuc). Reeves is gay now? Did he become a Scientologist? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/8 "2012-08-19T22:10:21Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > [Or Brendan Fraser](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oF25IsGjuc). > > Reeves is gay now? Did he become a Scientologist? At least he doesn’t eat frogs. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/9 "2012-08-20T19:06:27Z")
The earliest recollection I have is Clueless. I don’t remember why Betty = Hot, though. Maybe Bette Davis? ---
**Author:** ![Reebevoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@Reebevoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reebevoli)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/10 "2012-08-20T21:41:54Z")
I first heard it in Encino Man, predating Clueless by 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/11 "2012-08-20T21:50:01Z")
From [http://www.jasa.net.au/study/cslang.htm:](http://www.jasa.net.au/study/cslang.htm:) > [@](#): > > 1. a Betty = a gorgeous woman-- perhaps timeless. This derives from the 1930s and 40s film star Betty Grable. She was the original ‘pin-up’ girl. Thousands of soldiers in World War II had pictures of her to ‘pin-up’ in their Barracks. She had particularly beautiful legs. Part of her fame was associated with the fact that she had her legs insured for $1million - a lot more money in the 1940s than it is today. Not sure of the veracity of that cite, I also associate it with surf culture. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/12 "2012-08-20T22:04:32Z")
I would have though Betty (as in Archie) is the plain dark-haired one, as opposed to the rich blonde with the fancy name and everything else going for her. however, I never heard that expression before. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/13 "2012-08-20T22:33:12Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I would have though Betty (as in Archie) is the plain dark-haired one, as opposed to the rich blonde with the fancy name and everything else going for her. however, I never heard that expression before. Betty is the cute, fun blond. Veronica is the brunette, high maintenance, rich girl with the princess complex and really not much of anything to recommend her. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/14 "2012-08-20T22:59:14Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Betty is the cute, fun blond. Veronica is the brunette, high maintenance, rich girl with the princess complex and really not much of anything to recommend her. Except being the “sub-deb Cleopatra of Riverdale”. [Cite.](http://www.archiefans.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3937.0;attach=864;image) [Cite #2](http://www.archiefans.com/gallery/d/13506-1/bv079.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/15 "2012-08-20T23:03:33Z")
It’s like Ginger and Maryann. Ginger is supposed to be hotter, but it’s all clothes and attitude. Everybody really likes Maryann better. Betty is a Maryann, Veronica is a Ginger. ---
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/16 "2012-08-20T23:55:03Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I would have though Betty (as in Archie) is the plain dark-haired one, as opposed to the rich blonde with the fancy name and everything else going for her. however, I never heard that expression before. Man have you ever read an Archie comic? Veronica was the hot stuck-up dark-haired girl. Betty was the plain-jane girl-next-door blonde. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/17 "2012-08-21T01:34:50Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > [Or Brendan Fraser](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oF25IsGjuc). > > Reeves is gay now? Did he become a Scientologist? I honestly don’t know. Best to ask David Geffen. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/18 "2012-08-21T01:44:25Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > When I was a kid (late 80s/early 90s), around here a Betty was a girl who dressed like the scene but didn’t really participate. The idea was that she was just there for the guys. Usually heard as skatebetty (dressed like a skateboarder, hung out with the skateboarders, but did not actually ride). So, kind of an insult. Yeah, that’s how I always heard the term: a skateboarder’s girlfriend, or a girl who hung out with the skaters, without skating herself. I think in my high school they were called “Skating Betties” or “Skater Betties” instead of “Skatebetties” though. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/19 "2012-08-21T04:04:29Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > When I was a kid (late 80s/early 90s), around here a Betty was a girl who dressed like the scene but didn’t really participate. The idea was that she was just there for the guys. Usually heard as skatebetty (dressed like a skateboarder, hung out with the skateboarders, but did not actually ride). So, kind of an insult. Early 80’s skateboarding slang. A Betty detracted from the serious pursuit of skateboarding. A Betty wanted you to go together to see the latest chick flick (instead of skating). A little contradictory as in skaters didn’t want to be “gay” but couldn’t be whipped by a Betty either. Thrasher Skateboard Magazine had tons of stuff about Betty’s. The were skater “oaths” that included stuff about Betty’s not interfering with skating. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980/20 "2012-08-21T04:17:18Z")
80’s. In my neck of the woods it was just the new term for “she’s a fox.” No connection with the skate board vernacular though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-a-betty/631980.md?page=2)