Brownie Points

In my last post, I used the phrase "earn Brownie points". After I typed that, I realized that I wasn't sure where that expression came from. Since I'm a chocoholic, I'm inclined to believe that the term has something to do with nature's most perfect food. (Of course, there are those who would disagree with my food hierarchy assessments, but we shall ignore them for the purposes of today's discussion.)

But wait a minute...if you wanted to reward someone for doing something good, and the term under discussion is about the kind of brownies you eat, well -- wouldn't you just award them ACTUAL brownies, rather than inventing some sort of point system? If you are forced to accrue a number of points before you receive an actual square of chocolaty goodness, wouldn't you be more inclined to just make your own brownies and say to heck with that stingy-ass guardian of points? I suspect so.

So perhaps the saying does have something to do with the junior branch of the Girl Scouts. After all, they form a large organization of slave laborers who toil to earn "badges", with rewards deferred until their sashes are heavy with embroidery. It's not inconceivable to think that their group might be responsible for the concept of a point system for minor accomplishments.

Hmm. I do enjoy the occasional Girl Scout cookie, and I have to admit that I dig chicks in uniforms. (Well, OK, I'm talking more about cheerleader outfits, but still...) But my real affection for the Brownies stems from the fact that for a brief period in my youth, I was one. Sorta.

You see, my older sister wanted to be a Girl Scout. This desire probably arose from the appeal of joining any organization that would get her out of the house and away from her unpleasant younger brothers. Anyway, she became a Brownie, obtained the outfit, and started doing whatever the Brownies do. I don't remember the circumstances, but for some reason my mom became the Den Mother (or whatever they're called) and began to hold the meetings at our house. Since my brother and I were still too young to remain unsupervised -- this was about the time my brother stuck the car keys into an electrical outlet -- we attended these Den Meetings.

Pat and I later became Cub Scouts ourselves, and attended meetings where we learned about Nature, Physics, Engineering, and other manly stuff. I don't remember the Brownies ever doing anything other than sewing and gossip, but my participation in their actual group activities was peripheral at best. What I do remember, though, was that they had snacks each week. Cookies, Kool-Aid, and yes, even brownies. Those were highly-coveted treats back then (as they are today), and made it worth the time I had to spend being nice to dumb ol' girls for the afternoon. If there were sweets on the line, I could even refrain from punching my sister for an hour or two.

Alas, these halcyon days didn't last long. I'm not sure if my sister matured quickly and accelerated her move to the the green uniform, or if my mom just got tired of it, or what. Perhaps my brother and I ate too many of their cookies and the girls got frustrated with having us around. I don't know. But I still remember my participation in the Brownies with fondness, even though I'm quite certain that all of the troop members were totally infested with cooties. Oh well.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I don't remember them using any point system that would lead to an idiomatic expression of such widespread usage. So perhaps Brownie Points aren't related to Girl Scouts at all -- but instead have something to do with mystical forest sprites, or Cleveland's football team. Or the microscoping jiggling motion of molecules in solution. Who knows?

I think I'll give my sister a call to see if she knows. I'll let you know if I learn anything. Have a great day!