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The Kitchen Table

Phrase of the day 5/20

jim_1 (Zone 5B)

5 years ago

Goody Two-Shoes

This phrase comes from a nursery tale, “The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes,” supposedly written by Oliver Goldsmith, famed playwright and friend of Samuel Johnson. Whether Oliver stooped to writing children’s stories or not, the piece was published in 1765 by John Newbery, first publisher of books for children. The tale is of a child who had only one shoe. Somehow she obtained a pair and dashed about the town buttonholing everyone she me and exclaiming, “Two shoes, two shoes!”

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Comments (4)

User
5 years ago
"Goody goody two shoes" was a widely used insult when I was a kid in the 60's. Adam Ant released a song by that name in 1982 (had to look the year up). But raising my daughter, I don't recall using or hearing that phrase with her at all. So I wonder, do kids today even have a clue what it means?
stacey_mb
5 years ago
Cute! (As well as this comment, I'm also adding a "like" just because I can - unlike yesterday when that feature was unavailable!)
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Lars
5 years ago
drewsmaga
5 years ago
How do you research these? I LOVE reading them. Thank you!

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