Rumpelstiltzkin, my favourite tale

As I told you some time ago, this is my favourite fairy tale. Consult the following web and you will enjoy this traditional tale with beautiful pictures. I hope you like it. www.mediainformatics.biz/kidsbook/rumples.html
You might find some words difficult: miller / straw / to spin / downhearted / to weep / greed. Look up their meaning in the dictionary. Try to learn the tale so that you can tell your children in the future.

Your stories

I have already read all your stories. All of them seem very nice. Once you have corrected the few mistakes I've found you should upload the in our blog with a beautiful picture on it so that all the students can read it and make comments.

Keep you English up to date

Naff. N-A-F-F. British slang. It means worthless, tacky, unfashionable - 'that's naff', 'the party was naff', 'those clothes are naff' - unenjoyable, of poor quality. 'Uncool', I suppose people would say these days - 'that décor is naff', 'that software is naff', 'that pub is naff'. In other words, it's used in a huge variety of circumstances as a general dismissive term, and it's also used as an expletive, to avoid the worst swear words - 'naff off!' - you hear people say, 'stop naffing about!' Now, that usage was made popular by the comedian Ronnie Barker in the television series 'Porridge', back in the 1970s. And it became very, very popular in British usage, and went right up the class system too! I mean, there's a story for instance that Princess Anne told paparazzi to 'naff off', back in 1982. At least, that's how it was reported.

The origins of the word are unclear. It might well be a gay usage. Kenneth Williams recalls it from the 1960s used by gay people, and often in a theatrical context as well. It may be an acronym meaning NAFF - not available for fun.

Muppet. Somebody who acts in a way that the speaker considers ignorant or idiotic - 'you're a muppet!' Very friendly kind of tone attached to this word, jocular, affectionate, even. It's much less forceful than, 'idiot' or 'prat' or 'fool'. The tone of voice has got to be jocular. I just can't think of it as a vicious term - I couldn't say 'you horrible muppet!' - that doesn't work for me, though I can imagine some people might use it.

The implications, of course, are - because it's an inanimate thing - that the mind has gone elsewhere, you're being controlled by another, you're being clumsy - it's because the word comes from 'puppet' really, and that's the way puppets act.

The Muppets were, of course, a Jim Henson creation back in the 1970s - you know, Kermit the Frog in 'Sesame Street' and, of course, 'The Muppet Show' from that time onwards. Jim Henson once said that he just made the word up because it sounded good, but when he was pressed, he said it was actually a combination of 'marionette' and 'puppet', and it goes right back to the 1950s.

Well, it's developed all sorts of other uses since - have you ever heard of 'muppetry', for instance? That's a group of people behaving like Muppets! You know, sort of, automata, they're not thinking straight!

Oh, by the way, you have to distinguish it from 'moppet' - that's different - that's a charming, doll-like, little child, often with a mop of hair. Moppets aren't Muppets!

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