brownie points

Idioms  

1. Credit for a good deed, as in John earned a lot of brownie points for doing his boss's report for him. The term originated with the points earned for various achievements by the youngest group of the Girl Scouts, called Brownies. In the mid-1900s it was transferred to general use.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brownie points

“China gets a lot of goodwill brownie points throughout the region with what they’re doing with Cuba,” said Jorge Piñón, who studies Cuban energy at the University of Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

I don’t want to say this to try to get ideological brownie points, but the fact of the matter is there's nothing enormously brave about me, right?

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2024

The Washington Post also has an incentive to get brownie points from the administration now and then.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2023

Although open for less than a year, she says the museum has already attracted "bakers, craftspeople, nostalgia hunters, eco-warriors... and those wanting brownie points when troublesome mothers-in-law visit".

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2018

“That’s true form, perfect brother. The Great Peacemaker. You rack up brownie points with Mom and maintain the image of the perfect son.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy