muppet
muppet Lexical Profile
muppet Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of a family of expressive hand-and-rod puppets created by Jim Henson, featured in television programs and films such as 'Sesame Street' and 'The Muppet Show' (usually capitalized as a trademark).
"The museum exhibition showcased several original Muppets from the 1970s television series."
British An incompetent, foolish, or ignorant person (used as a mild, often humorous term of disparagement).
"Some muppet left the warehouse door unlocked all weekend."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'Muppet', the word is a trademarked proper noun referring to the specific puppet characters created by Jim Henson; in lowercase, it is chiefly used in British and Commonwealth slang as a mild, affectionate or exasperated insult for a foolish person.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1956 by American puppeteer Jim Henson, who often explained it as a blend of 'marionette' and 'puppet', though he also noted it was simply a playful sound he liked. The British slang sense meaning a foolish or incompetent person emerged in the late 20th century by allusion to the comical television characters.