Etymology

thinking man's crumpet

Today it means: An intelligent and good-looking woman, particularly one who has a high profile in the broadcast media. Full definition →

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The story

Coined in the 1960s by Frank Muir to describe Joan Bakewell, following the latter’s appearances in high-brow television discussion programmes such as BBC2's Late Night Line-Up. From crumpet (“a sexually desirable woman (UK slang)”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.