brownie point, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

brownie point n.

also brownie

[ety. unknown; links have been made to the Brownies, the junior form of the Girl Guides, and to brown-nosing; recent research suggests that its origin may also lie in wartime American food rationing, in which ration points in various colours were required to make food purchases: red and brown ones, for example, referred to meats and fats. There are many references in wartime newspapers to ‘brown points’.]

a notional ‘award’, in effect a sarcastic and backhanded form of compliment for anything perceived as sycophancy; usu. in pl.

1945		Stars & Stripes 30 July n.p.: With us, dear pal, you've hit the bottom, / But brownie points—man you've got 'em. / So here's to you, my little man, / Soldier boy with nose of tan.
1951		L.A. Times Mar. n.p.: You don’t know about brownie points? All my buddies keep score. In fact every married male should know about ’em. It’s a way of figuring where you stand with the little woman – favor or disfavor. Started way back in the days of the leprechauns, I suppose, long before there were any doghouses.
1962		F. Harvey Strike Command 129: At least he’ll not be able to knock it as ‘busy work’ and ‘brownie points’.
1976		N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 169: I said it was his big chance to make Brownie points with the old man.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 80: All the wise guys were around spendin’ money, tryin’ to make brownies with me.
1986		M. Petit Peacekeepers 72: Ever mindful of an opportunity to make a few brownie points.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 32: Just so as I can find out who topped this coon and get brownie points for a certain Mister Toal.
2004		(con. 1990s) N. ‘Razor’ Smith A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 399: Some slimy grass looking for a few brownie points.
2006		C. Carr Our Town 268: The Kluxer announced [...] ‘It says in the Bible, shoot ’em,’ so, he concluded, ‘if you shoot queers and race mixers, you got His blessing. You earn Brownie points.’.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 178: [It] brings me brownie points with the pervy puritan I hocked my soul to!!!!