What Is A Brownie Point?

[Pipanella]

I did a search and came up with just one thread, which had nothing to do with my question. I see where some people log that they 'left a brownie point.' What does that mean?

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

A bitesized piece of a brownie????

[+leatherman]

I've never heard it used in that context.

I've always heard it used in reference to sucking up to the boss, or a superior. Seeking good standing with someone.

[+Renegade Knight]

I could probably earn brownie points with Leatherman if I said good things about the Meridian Color.

[+SnowLeopard]

Maybe it's a badge of some kind (something sewed to a Brownie's uniform)?

[AC Student]

Sounds like something that was talked about here.

 

Do The Brownies cache in your area?

[Pipanella]

Sounds like something that was talked about here.

 

Do The Brownies cache in your area?

Nope. Not even close! (They cache in Washington state and I'm in Ohio.

 

I've seen this at least twice, when I've read logs. Here.....look at the logs for this one, scroll down to January 2nd......the log by bookisme.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...&log=y&decrypt=

 

I think I'll just e-mail them and find out what they mean by 'brownie point!' It's not the first time I've seen this either.

[+JeepCachr]

Please report back what you find out. Now you've made me curious.

[+woof n lulu]

Probably meant like leaving good luck.

We have a cache near here that does not have room for much but the book, so the cache owner requested you leave a wish, or take a wish, or a bit of luck, etc.

and put it in the log book...

Edited April 25, 2004 by woof n lulu

[ghOzt]

Wow, that's a nice trade item! I'd take it... who cares what color it is??

[+DustyJacket]

Brownie Point:

 

NOUN: An amount of credit considered as earned, especially by favorably impressing a superior. Often used in the plural.

 

ETYMOLOGY: From the practice of awarding points for achievement to Brownies in the Girl Scouts.

[dampeoples]

I wonder if the Girl Scout leader checks the cache sites if that's what it is

[+TeamSpider3]

Brownie Point:

 

NOUN: An amount of credit considered as earned, especially by favorably impressing a superior. Often used in the plural. 

 

ETYMOLOGY: From the practice of awarding points for achievement to Brownies in the Girl Scouts.

I found a different definition of brownie points. This excerpt comes from the Historic American Engineering Record (part of the US National Park Service, HAER documents significant engineering sites) Report on the former Southern Pacific Shops in Sacramento, CA.

 

Quoting from the HAER Report:

Both unions and management saw benefits in the "Brown system" of discipline, named after George R. Brown, General Superintendent of the Fall Brook Railway. Instead of levying suspension or dismissal for every infraction, which was hard on both the railway and on employees, a "virtual suspension" was entered into an employee’s record. These "brownie points" could be erased by subsequent months of good conduct. The system, however, didn’t keep employees from being fired on the spot for serious enough offenses. This system also provided the unforeseen advantage of standardizing appropriate procedures for dealing with particular situations, and appropriate penalties for failing to do the correct thing.

 

The report is available on line at: http://www.intemperance.net/carolyn/haer.html or can be obtained (don't know exactly how) from the Library of Congress.

 

This still tells me nothing about what a geocaching brownie point is, probably some good deed related to the cache.

 

spider3

[+sTeamTraen]

Brownie Point:

 

NOUN: An amount of credit considered as earned, especially by favorably impressing a superior. Often used in the plural.

 

ETYMOLOGY: From the practice of awarding points for achievement to Brownies in the Girl Scouts.

It's a completely standard expression in the UK. I doubt if more than 5% of Brits wouldn't know what it meant. Maybe a Brit posted it and assumed it was as standard in US English usage as well.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to bum a fag, haven't had one in a fortnight. And I'm having faggots for my tea later too.

[+New England n00b]

It's very well known in the US. When used as "Brownie Points", it usually means a kudo from someone for doing a good job impressing the superior.

 

More negatively there is Brown Nosing - which means that you are kissing butt so much that... family forum. Nevermind!

[+Red Clover]

If you havent smoked in two weeks dont beg one now. Go have a good nosh, wash up at the tap. I bet a chemist can give you something to help with your willpower

[Pipanella]

Thanks for the history lesson about Brownie Points. For the record, I did know what THAT kind of brownie point was, but didn't know the history behind it. Interesting! I know what brown-nosing is, too, and have been known to do it in the past.

 

I just saw one in a cache we found over the weekend. It was a business-card-sized laminated card that said something to the effect of, "Your attention to detail has earned you this Brownie Point." I'm guessing the finder liked either the cache or where it was hidden, so rewarded the hider with a Brownie Point.

[+Touchstone]

That's a pretty cool idea. Kind of an anti-DPM for a great cache.

 

I usually leave some sort of sig item behind in the caches I do. If I really like the cache, I'll leave a CA Geocoin .

[+sTeamTraen]

What's a DPM ?

[+gdaybloke]

I'll back that, what's a DPM?

For myself, since I have so many, I imagine I'll mainly be leaving behind Heroclix.

[Pipanella]

Yeah, what is DPM?

[phern47]

"Brownie Point"

Is a term from the era of the Roman Empire. When there were gladiators, slaves, arenas, public baths. The public baths of the elite were made of marble and slaves would bring towels for them to sit on because the marble was cold and slippery. Anyone who left a "brownie point" was because he had not bathed yet.

[Pipanella]

You're just making that up.

[+robert]

DPM

[+sTeamTraen]

DPM

Thanks... I shall try to forget how much this kind of third-degree terminological obscurity reminds me of the übergeek I used to be in college