Sensitive teenager Dobie Gillis exasperates his grocer father Herbert T. Gillis and is the apple of Winnie Gillis' eye, she being his mother. Dobie has an almost singular focus on the opposite sex, more often than not the object of his affection being the beautiful but money hungry Thalia Menninger, who in turn often loves Dobie but always loves money more, which Dobie never has and in his current life direction probably will never have to the extent that would satisfy Thalia.