[General] What does this sentence mean?

[Silverobama]

Hi,

Silver was a real goody two-shoes, tattling on her friends to the teacher.

What does the bold part mean?

Thanks a lot

If the sentence sounds old-fashioned to you, please let me know.

 

[Munch]

She tells the teacher that her friends have done bad things. What Silver says might be true or false – "tattling" can be either or a combination of both.

It might be a little old fashioned but I think most people would understand the meaning. People certainly talked that way twenty years ago when I was in school (although in Australia we might have said "telling tales" or the informal "dobbing").​

 

[Silverobama]

Thanks a lot, Munch. Would you mind telling me how to understand the whole sentence? Since after your explanation, I feel a bit puzzled when I focus on the whole sentence, I don't know how to under the the latter part and goody two-shoes together despite the definition of it.

 

[Munch]

Goody-two-shoes: she does the right thing only to impress the teacher. She makes sure that everyone knows what a good girl she is.

Imagine a little girl (or boy) saying, "Mr Teacher, I finished all my work and my clothes are neat, but that girl has the wrong socks and John is cheating!"

 

[Silverobama]

Thanks a lot, this time is much better, I am grateful for your help. By the way, what does "John is cheating" mean?

 

[Munch]

Thanks a lot, this time is much better, I am grateful for your help. By the way, what does "John is cheating" mean?

Sorry. It was just something I wrote - maybe John is breaking the rules of a game or looking at another student's answers. Bad boy, John!

 

[Silverobama]

Thanks a lot, but I don't the connection between John and the sentence you wrote, but I've understood the meaning of the term, can you explain a little bit?

 

[Barb_D]

Clearly we have a disconnect here. I don't know how it can be more clear that John is doing something wrong by cheating and the goody two shoes is making sure the teacher knows it.

I am the goody two shoes.
I am friends with John, Mary, and Susan. But my desire to impress the teacher is more important than my friendship.

I say, "Teacher, teacher! Look - John is over there listening to his iPod in class! That's not allowed! And Susan has gum, even though you told her to spit it out. And Mary isn't wearing the right socks to go with her uniform!"