brownie point

== English == === Etymology === Unknown, but possibly from brownnose, and often associated with the points that Girl Guides or Girl Scouts at the Brownie level (ages six through eight) receive for doing specific tasks that when accumulated earn them badges (a sign of recognition) to wear on their Brownie Uniform. First use appears c. 1944 in the The Daily Item (Sunbury). === Pronunciation === === Noun === brownie point (plural brownie points) (idiomatic, slang, originally US, chiefly in the plural) Credit or praise for good work or a good deed, often for the express purpose of currying favor. ==== Usage notes ==== This term is often used sarcastically to highlight someone's sycophantic behaviour. ==== Translations ==== === See also === house points === References === “brownie, n.1.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. === Further reading === brownie points on Wikipedia.Wikipedia