Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US black, also herbie) an unsophisticated person, one who has no knowledge of street life; thus herbette, the female equivalent [attrib. to an early 1990s Burger King commercial featuring a pathetic character named Herb; but note Herb n. as abbr. of Herbert n.].

1971		(con. WWII) B. Aldiss Soldier Erect 52: For Christ sake, you couple of dumb ’erbs, do you want the fucking Redcaps on us?
[1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972) 101: herbie. n. Establishment-type person, very conventional in attitude].
1993		Lerner et al. Dict. of Today’s Words.
1997		G. Sikes 8 Ball Chicks (1998) xvii: ‘One time the guys we were chillin’ with tried to catch a herb.’ A ‘herb’ means a victim, slang from an old Burger King commercial featuring a frail milquetoast character named Herb, who became a symbol for an easy white mark. ‘And Isabel was looking for a herbette.’.
2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Herb: A weak inmate.
2012		J. Díaz This Is How You Lose Her 98: The hardest dude in the nabe chasing price checks like a herb.

2. (US campus) homosexual.

2001

Eble Campus Sl. Fall 5: herb – homosexual.