betty
A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors openA short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy.
Meaning
6 senses(slang)A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy.
(slang)A picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks.
A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs.
(slang)An attractive woman; a babe.
(archaic, derogatory)A man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man.
(US, archaic)A pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask.
Origin
From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doorsFrom 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.
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