goody two shoes

American  

noun

(sometimes initial capital letters)

plural

goody two shoes

1. a goody-goody.

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goody two-shoes Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of goody two shoes

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

Example Sentences

The singer, who turns 70 next month, found fame in the 1980s with his band Adam And The Ants, enjoying a string of Top 10 hits including the number ones Stand and Deliver, Prince Charming and Goody Two Shoes.

From BBC

She was annoyed, she said, by youth books that were “goody two shoes sagas” or that blamed parents for everything.

From New York Times

“He would call me Mr. Goody Two Shoes,” Pauken testified.

From Washington Post

Nadjmabadi said he had always been a “goody two shoes,” according to the report, but he had become “a little bit heady with the power of being a well-respected ... provider in the community.”

From Los Angeles Times

A perk of being a goody two shoes is that Barb will probably believe me.

From Literature