Meanings
twinkie1
plural twinkies
- figurativelyAn actor, actress, or public figure regarded primarily for their physical attractiveness rather than for substantive talent, achievement or contribution.
This twinkie was enveloped in an oversize parka with the hood pulled so far forward that all that could be seen of his face was a frostbitten nose and a microphone.
1994, Dana Stabenow, A Cold-Blooded Business, →ISBN, page 152 more examples
Indeed, this unexpected emergent talent could propel Barrymore to an acting orbit adjacent to that of her Gardens co-star, Jessica Lange – who, let's remember, started out herself as a big-screen twinkie, in the 1976 King Kong, as the big ape's unwilling object of affection.
2009 January 13, Rob Salem, “Pressure of Grey Gardens Gives Barrymore the Jitters”, in Toronto StarTom Ford, who said he was “a twinkie” at Studio 54 in the days when Halston hung out there with Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor, Bianca Jagger and Warhol, was also impressed with Mr. McGregor and the show.
2021 May 7, Maureen Dowd, “Ewan McGregor: Dahling, He’s Halston!”, in The New York Times, →ISSN - Alternative letter-case form of Twinkie.
Twinkie2
plural Twinkies
- foodA yellow cake with a creamy white filling, known for its artificiality and supposedly long shelf life.
- derogatoryethnicslurSynonym of banana: A person of East Asian descent considered to have overly assimilated and to be subservient to white authority, an East Asian race traitor.
Synonyms: banana
- Alternative letter-case form of twinkie.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of banana: A person of East Asian descent considered to have overly assimilated and to be subservient to white authority, an East Asian race traitor.
Origin
Twinkie · noun
The brand name is said to be a diminutive, twinkle + -ie (or otherwise modified), based on a billboard for "Twinkle Toe Shoes" in St. Louis, although there are also claims for solely one or the other. The meaning in reference to well-assimilated Asians is derived from the slur that they are "yellow on the outside, white on the inside".
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with twinkie
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
twinkie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twinkie
“twinkie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twinkie. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “twinkie,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twinkie.
Source: twinkie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.