What it means
A goody-two-shoes is the relentlessly well-behaved one who always follows the rules, tells the teacher, never swears and makes everyone else feel like a delinquent by comparison. It's not that being good is bad, it's the smug, slightly performative virtue that grates. Said with a smirk, usually about the kid who reminded the class there was homework.
Usage examples
"Of course the goody-two-shoes handed the lost wallet straight to the police."
"Don't be such a goody-two-shoes, one bunked lesson won't end the world."
Where it comes from
From the 1765 children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes, about a poor girl so delighted with her two shoes she tells everyone. The name became shorthand for the prim do-gooder.
Editors of this term
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