What does "brownie points" mean?

For most of us, the term brownie refers to delicious squares of chocolate heaven — a treat with a fascinating history of its own, but when followed by ‘points’, it implies something totally different. We use the term as an idiom for someone trying to earn favor or approval, “If I do this I might earn a few brownie points”. So what does chocolate have to do with earning approval?

Evidently not much.

The phrase brownie points could have originated from a number of sources.

Girl Scouts and Brownies

In Australia, the US, and the UK it is most commonly associated with girl scouts who are also called Brownies. Girl Scouts get badges for a variety of milestones and it is commonly assumed that these badges became the source of the term.

George R Brown’s Scoring System

Another possible origin involves a gentleman named George R Brown, who developed a scoring methodology for railroad workers in the late nineteenth century. This system became very popular and workers began referring to their scores as “Brownie Points”.

Grocery Reward Stamps

Another suggestion is that the term came from the use of brown stamps post World War 2 to encourage customers to shop at grocery stores. The grocers would present customers with brown stamps, which could be exchanged for a gift later on.

Publishing Incentive Programs

Finally a publishing house is credited with incentivising its delivery network of youths with brown vouchers for achieving their sales target. These too became known as brownie points.

Any thoughts or ideas about the term Brownie Points? Which do you think seems like the most plausible definition?

While the phrase “brownie points” refers to earning approval or favour, real brownies are something much more delicious.

At Dello Mano, we’ve been crafting handmade brownies in Brisbane for more than 18 years, focusing on rich Belgian chocolate and small-batch baking techniques that create the dense, luxurious texture brownie lovers seek.

If you’d like to experience the real thing, you can explore our full range of Luxury Brownies , or discover our Brownie Delivery Australia options for sending handmade brownies nationwide.