Betty
name, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy. slang
"No modern Lycæum vvill ever equal thy Glory, […] deſcribing the povverful Betty, or the artful Picklock, […]"
- 2 A girl who hangs out with skateboarders or surfers. derogatory, slang
- 3 A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks. slang
"After a quick meal at a tea shop, we found ourselves in the hallway at the Midland Hotel, where he removed a skeleton key, or “betty” as he called it, from his pocket and inserted it in the keyhole. […] Once they were out of sight, I fumbled about with the betty for a few moments before the lock finally clicked open."
- 4 A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man. archaic, derogatory
- 5 A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask. US, archaic
"On olive oil in casks, twenty cents per gallon; olive salad oil in bottles or betties, thirty per centum ad valorem"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs.
"A pie-size betty is traditional, but if you like, assemble the recipe in individual ovenproof ramekins."
- 7 An attractive woman; a babe. slang
"Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972. Wasn't my Mom a betty? She died when I was just a baby. A fluke accident during a routine liposuction. I don't remember her, but I like to pretend she still watches over me."
- 1 To pick a lock, to open with a betty.
"“Well then,” he said. “Let’s say you can betty the lock, hang on a rope, and break the drum, and then lock up again with nobody the wiser. How do I get on in the first place, past the Scots jack, with his sharp cool?”"
- 2 To be overly attentive to someone or something. archaic
"“I’m perfectly well, thank you, Miss Hester,” she said, coldly. “I detest being bettied.”"
- 1 A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.
"People in the last century weren't afraid of homely names; now we are all so smart and fine: no more "Lady Bettys" now."
Example
More examples"Betty can't tell right from wrong."
Etymology
From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.
Related phrases
More for "betty"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.