What does benny mean?
"Benny" is an informal noun with two distinct senses. In American usage it most commonly refers to a tablet of Benzedrine, an early amphetamine, and by extension to amphetamine pills generally; the term arose because the tablets were nicknamed after the Benzedrine brand. The word carries a distinctly retro, mid-twentieth-century flavor today, evoking truckers, jazz musicians, and students who relied on such stimulants to work or stay awake through the night. In British slang, "benny" can also mean a foolish or gullible person, a use that remains colloquial rather than formal. Because the word is slang, it belongs to casual speech and writing rather than formal contexts, and its drug-related sense may strike modern readers as dated. Its origin as a familiar shortening of the name Benjamin gives it a friendly, informal ring despite its edgier associations.
An amphetamine tablet, originally one of the Benzedrine brand, used illicitly as a stimulant.
"He kept a tin of bennies in the glovebox for the long hauls."
Dated American slang, strongest in mid-20th-century contexts.
Chiefly British slang: a foolish or gullible person.
"Only a benny would believe a story like that."
Informal British colloquialism.
Regular plural; applies to both senses.
"The musicians were wired on bennies all night."
"Benny" started life as nothing more than a pet form of the name Benjamin — then the pharmaceutical industry gave it a whole new kick.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of benny
The drug sense of "benny" derives from "Benzedrine," the trade name introduced by the American pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline & French in the 1930s for its amphetamine product, with "-benny" emerging as a clipped, slangy shortening once the tablets became widely used illicitly. The name Benzedrine itself appears to blend "benz-" (from benzene, part of the chemical nomenclature) with a suffix suggesting energy or vigor. Separately, "benny" has long existed in English as a familiar pet form of the personal name Benjamin, which comes from Hebrew meaning "son of the right hand" (or "son of fortune"); the British slang sense of a fool is generally traced to a character bearing this name. The two strands share only the nickname itself.
How benny is actually used
Informal and dated slang. The drug sense is strongly associated with mid-20th-century America; the 'fool' sense is British and colloquial.
Easily confused with benny
Beni is a proper noun (a place or given name), whereas benny is a common noun referring to an amphetamine pill or, in British slang, a fool.