student asking question

It seems very rude to call someone a "muppet," but is it okay to say like that?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The phrase "muppet" is used to describe someone who you think is a bit stupid or useless. It is basically another way of calling someone an idiot. It can also be used to describe someone who is very eager or enthusiastic but not very good at something so they make a lot of mistakes. Whether this is offensive or not really depends on the tone of the person and context of the situation. Since most people might be offended by being called an idiot or being called stupid in any way, it is probably best to avoid using this to somebody you don't know very well. Here however it is being used in a comedic way as it is not technically a curse word. Ex: Stop acting like a muppet and do it properly. Ex: I think he's a bit of a muppet.

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