Talk:Brownie points

Articles for Deletion debate
This article survived an Articles for Deletion debate. The discussion can be found here. -Splash 22:21, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

Link to Disambiguation Page
I removed the link to the disambiguation page brownie, since nobody is likely to stumble across this page while intending another meaning. -Sopoforic 18:19, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Other etymology
When I was in Brownies, we were told a story about little elf/sprite type creatures that did good deeds and that was where the name originated from. I'm not sure if it's an actual story, or one made up by Girl Scouts, but it's plausible. One can earn "points" by doing good deeds and imitating the "brownies". I'll try to dig up more info, but has anyone else ever heard this? Joliefille 11:33, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Favored etymology
The Brownie points section offers five separate possible etymologies, but the lead paragraph presents only one of them and describes it as "The origin of the term" even though its section Brownie points calls it "Another proposed etymology". Is there any evidence that this is the preferred etymology, or should the lead paragraph be changed to indicate that several possible origins have been proposed? [Note that the lead paragraph contains information about its favored etymology that does not appear in that etymology's dedicated section. It should be rolled in if it is supported by the reference.] -- Kirk Hilliard (talk) 03:29, 10 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree. The only support given to the "railroad" etymology (originally added by a user who has otherwise made no other contributions to Wikipedia) is an unsourced blog post and a link to a 1923 article (not available online, published nearly 40 years after the "fact", and, significantly, nearly a decade after the foundation of the Girl Guide "Brownies" who are an alternative, and not unconvincing, derivation of the term.) Without contemporary sources, the lead paragraph should stay neutral. So in the "be bold" spirit, I've removed it Ghughesarch (talk) 00:14, 14 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I would also question the "brown stamp" origin. I am old enough to well remember the trading stamp programs of post-WWII, and to the best of my knowledge, the S&G Green Stamp program was the most popular; it dates as far back as the late 19th century. I recall no "brown stamps" at all. Perhaps this is a regional thing. In addition, the equation of "supporting local merchants" with "doing good deeds" is rather thin to me. This was an era when basically one did almost all one's shopping locally. 69.29.207.109 (talk) 02:59, 23 February 2010 (UTC)


 * Could there be any connection to Brownie Wise of Tupperware fame? Mrs. Wise dealt a lot with incentives for her sales crew. --Uruandimi (talk) 08:52, 5 April 2010 (UTC)


 * I would also question the "brown stamp" origin. I remember Green _Shield_ Stamps, but nothing about brown stamps or points. The brown stamp thing does not seem to fit with the "good deed" part of this. I would also suggest this is not really a social currency as brownie points are never traded in any way. Rather an undefined amount is always hypothetically earned. "Hopefully, we will get some brownie points for doing the shopping" or summat. No actual amount is revealed. Brownies doing good deeds fits much better to the use. Also I have a problem tying the phrase to some commercial venture, as the use is in the frame of a philanthropic gesture. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.242.52.33 (talk) 09:27, 21 January 2015 (UTC)


 * I have reordered the etymology to promote the Brownies origin and removed the words "but unproved", as this suggests it carries les credence and other equally unproved etymologies. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.242.52.33 (talk) 09:30, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Earliest Use
The LAT 1951 citation would appear to belie the OED's earliest usage date of 1963. The sentence seems in contradiction with itself. Orthotox (talk) 09:00, 12 November 2015 (UTC)