goody two shoes

noun

, (sometimes initial capital letters)

, plural goody two shoes.

1. a goody-goody.

Word History and Origins

Origin of goody two shoes¹

After the title character of The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765), a nursery tale perhaps written by Oliver Goldsmith

Idioms and Phrases

A prudish, self-righteous individual, a goody-goody. For example, Phyllis was a real goody two-shoes, tattling on her friends to the teacher . This expression alludes to the main character of a nursery tale, The History of Goody Two-Shoes (1765), who was so pleased when receiving a second shoe that she kept saying “Two shoes.” The goody in the story is short for goodwife but means “goody-goody” in the idiom.