What does "Pied piper" mean? And definition?

9 Answers

The phrase "pied piper" refers to a person who is able to charm or lure others, often through the use of music or other attractive means.


Here is a detailed answer:


The phrase "pied piper" is derived from a German folktale about a man who was hired to rid a town of its rat infestation. He did so by playing his flute, which caused the rats to follow him out of the town and into a river, where they drowned. The townspeople, however, did not want to pay the piper for his services and refused to give him the agreed-upon fee. In retaliation, the piper used his flute to charm the town's children, leading them away from their homes and into a cave, where they were never seen again.

The phrase "pied piper" has come to refer to any person who is able to charm or lure others through the use of their skills or abilities, often through the use of music or other attractive means. It can also be used more broadly to refer to someone who leads others astray or manipulates them for their own gain.


Here are used examples to help you better understand how this expressions is used:

  • "The charismatic salesman was a pied piper, able to convince anyone to buy his products."

  • "The cult leader was seen as a pied piper, leading his followers down a dangerous path."


Here are a few multiple choice questions to help you practice using this expression:


  1. What does the phrase "pied piper" refer to?

    a) A person who is able to charm or lure others through the use of music or other attractive means

    b) A person who is skilled at playing the flute

    c) A person who leads others astray or manipulates them for their own gain

    d) All of the above

    Answer: a) A person who is able to charm or lure others through the use of music or other attractive means

  2. Where did the phrase "pied piper" come from?

    a) A German folktale

    b) An old English nursery rhyme

    c) A Shakespearean play

    d) A Greek myth

    Answer: a) A German folktale

  3. Can the phrase "pied piper" be used to refer to someone who manipulates others for their own gain?

    a) Yes

    b) No

    Answer: a) Yes

  4. Which of the following is NOT an example of how the phrase "pied piper" could be used in a sentence?

    a) "The politician was a pied piper, able to sway voters with his eloquent speeches."

    b) "The pied piper led the children away from their homes and into the cave."

    c) "The new teacher was a pied piper, able to engage even the most reluctant students in her lessons."

    d) "The dog barked at the pied piper as he walked down the street." Answer: d) "The dog barked at the pied piper as he walked down the street."


Conclusion:

In conclusion, the phrase "pied piper" refers to a person who is able to charm or lure others through the use of their skills or abilities, often through the use of music or other attractive means. It is derived from a German folktale and can also be used to refer to someone who leads others astray or manipulates them for their own gain.

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What does Pied Piper mean?


Dictionary: (n.) one that offers strong but delusive enticement (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)


History: The phrase comes from the The Pied Piper of Hamelin where the title character, the Pied Piper, is symbolic of a medieval plague that hit the town of Hamelin and took the lives of many of the children.


Legend: The town of Hamelin was plagued with rats that overran the city and terrorized the citizens. The King was willing to do whatever it took to rid the town of the rats, so the Pied Piper, a rat-catcher, used his magical flute to lure all of the rats out of town to their deaths. However, when he returned to the king for his promised payment, the king refused to pay him. The Pied Piper left angrily but promised to return. He did return, on a day when most of the adults were at church. Once again, he played his magical flute. This time, instead of rats, he lured the children from the town. They followed his music and disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Only three children were left behind: one that was lame (could not walk and keep up), one that was deaf (could not hear the music), and one that was blind (could not see where they went).

Moral: A Pied Piper is something that convinces someone to follow or do something by offering strong enticement to lure them away. Usually the enticement is to do something other than what they are supposed to be doing.


Pop Culture Reference: BTS has a song titled "Pied Piper" that was released in 2018.

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What does "pied piper" mean. It goes back to a German story of a person who played a flute. His music charmed all the rats in a city. The charm of the music caused the rats and later the children of the town to follow him without thinking about the consequences. The result was the rats ended up following the pied piper to their death and the children were never seen again. So if someone says you are following the Pied piper it means you are blindly following someone. Or if someone says a person is like the pied piper it means they are very charming and people are blindly following them.

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The Pied Piper


The Pied Piper Led Rats Out of the Town


The Pied Piper is a German fable of a man that led rats out of a town that was infested with rats in 1284. The Pied Piper can often be used as a metaphor for a person that controls people with their charm or convincing speaking.

The pied pipper led rats throught the streets.

He's just like the pied pipper.

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What does Pied Piper mean?

Meaning:

a leader who makes irresponsible promises


Is Pied Piper a good person?

What type of person is Pied Piper?


a person who persuades a lot of other people to follow them or do something with them Madonna is fashion's Pied Piper. She leads while the rest of us can only follow.


Pied piper

From the old German story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who made first rats and later children follow him by playing beautiful music on his pipe.

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*Who is the Pied Piper? What does it mean?


*We can refer to someone as being a Pied Piper: if they are a leader who gives us irresponsible promises.


*Secondly, the Pied Piper is an English kid's fairytale

According to legend, the Pied Piper was a rat-catcher who was called upon by the citizens of Hamelin to clear away a plague of rats, which he did with the aid of a magic flute, which hypnotized the rats, and he promptly led them out of the town and into a river, where they drowned.

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What does pied piper mean?



Pied piper is a noun which means someone who other people follow or support but who may harm them or leave them disappointed.


Example: He is the pied piper of promises. He would talk about doing things for others but would disappear in a heart beat. He always leaves people with false hopes.

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Pied Piper


Storybook Meaning

Pied Piper is the main character in a famous English poem

-The Pied Piper of Hamelin - written by Robert Browning in 1842.

Hamelin has many rats. For a fee, the Piper agreed to get rid of the rats. He played his pipe (recorder) and the rats follow him out of the village. The job looked too easy to the king refused to pay him. The Pied Piper again played his pipe. This time all the children followed the Piper. He led them into a mountain hole. The hole closed up and they were never seen again.


Application 1: "To pay the piper"

Meaning: to take the consequences of your actions.


e.g. I went shopping with my sister. I used my credit card. At the end of the month I will be paying the piper.


Application 2: "He who pays the piper calls the tune" / "He who pays the piper"

Meaning: The person who pays for something has the right to decide


e.g We could go by bus but I am paying so we are going by train. He who pays the piper.

An old English story with modern idioms

The Piper is an old storytale figure.

The story was so popular that we still use sayings that relate to to this story today.

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pied piper

noun

often capitalized both Ps

1

: one that offers strong but delusive enticement

2

: a leader who makes irresponsible promises

3

: a charismatic person who attracts followers

examples:

Maxine Petry Pioneer Works’ resident pied piper got even T&C to Red Hook. Jason Farago, Town & Country, 28 Sep. 2022Forced into the political wilderness, much of Siege feels like a relevance play—Bannon using Wolff to cast himself as Trump’s pied piper. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 June 2019This had a pied piper effect — visitors curious about where the band might be headed naturally followed. Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, 31 Jan. 2018

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