What is a Muppet ? The term Muppet was invented by Jim Henson at the beginning of his career to describe his puppet act . It is sometimes claimed , and refuted , that Henson created the term as a combination of the words marionette and puppet . Henson used the Muppet name to define the characters in his productions , and to distinguish his act from those of other puppeteers . Following the development of various projects over the years , and ownership changes for some characters , the term has seen a shift in the way it has been used by official parties , and its perception in popular culture . Early history . The word Muppet appeared in print as early as the spring of 1955 in an advertisement for " Afternoon with Inga " . Henson ' s appearances on variety shows such as " The Ed Sullivan Show " were billed as " The Muppets " and , as on " Saturday Night Live " , " Jim Henson ' s Muppets . " In a 1983 interview , Henson commented on when he first coined the term : " " I think we did the term Muppets before we got the show " Sam and Friends " - a few months after I started working . " When The Jim Henson Company sold the Muppets to The Walt Disney Company in 2004 , Jane Henson sent a letter to The Walt Disney Company , stating that the copyright on the early Muppet characters went to Jane Henson as well as Jim Henson , though Jim Henson was the sole author and creator of the early characters . " Sesame Street " . During the development of " Sesame Street " , when it was decided that the show would add a fantasy element , Jim Henson ' s Muppets were singled out as the only puppet act that would be worth approaching . After Henson became involved , a cast of new Muppet characters were created for the show . They have become known as The Sesame Street Muppets or The Muppets of Sesame Street . Sesame Workshop retains the Muppets name in its credits and products for " Sesame Street " , continuing to call its characters " Jim Henson ' s Sesame Street Muppets " and the puppeteers " Muppet Performers " or " Muppeteers . " However Sesame Workshop does note that " Muppets™ is a trademark of The Muppets Studio . " From 1990 - 1991 , the credits for " Sesame Street " and related productions referred to its Muppets as " Sesame Street Puppet Characters . " " The Muppet Show " . When " The Muppet Show " became an international hit , the word Muppet became more closely associated with characters from that show . Productions and merchandise started to become branded from " The Muppet Show " ’ s cast of characters . Although , the phrase , " Muppet Performers " appeared during " The Muppet Show " closing credits , early episodes of the first season referred to its Muppets as " The Muppet Puppeteers " or " The Muppet People . " Television specials and theatrical films created throughout the 1980s strengthened this branding , as the group of characters established in " The Muppet Movie " and " The Muppet Show " continued to receive significant focus . This family of characters continued on into the MuppeTelevision portions of " The Jim Henson Hour " and " Muppets Tonight " . The franchise was further solidified as being separate from other " Jim Henson ' s Muppets " projects when The Walt Disney Company purchased characters from The Jim Henson Company in 2004 . Disney went one step further to separate their property , by designating this group and their endeavors as The Muppets Studio . Other productions . Even so , the word Muppet continued to be used to describe characters from productions featuring mostly original characters , such as in " Fraggle Rock " where the credits read " with Jim Henson ' s Muppets , " even though none of " The Muppet Show " characters were used . In the late - 1980s / 1990s , the word Muppet would start being associated with new productions less often than it had been ( unless that production featured characters from " The Muppet Show " , such as " Muppets Tonight " and the Muppet movies ) . The phrases " Muppet Performers " or " Jim Henson ' s Muppets " still appeared in the credits to such shows as " Dog City " and " Big Bag " . Since selling the Muppets to The Walt Disney Company in 2004 , the Jim Henson Company has stopped using the Muppets name for characters in newer productions . They stopped including the Muppets name on new " Fraggle Rock " products ( the first five " Fraggle Rock " DVDs , except for " Doin ' Things That Doozers Do " , actually cut the " With Jim Henson ' s Muppets " credit in the opening , though it ' s been included in the opening for later DVDs ) . This is to create a distinction between the " Muppet Show " - brand characters ( Disney owned ) and other Henson Company puppets . Outside " Sesame Street " , Sesame Workshop used the word Muppet in association with the characters and performers of their series " Panwapa " . The Jim Henson Company seldom described creations from the Creature Shop as Muppets . Rare examples of Muppets created from the Creature Shop include the casts of " The Ghost of Faffner Hall " and " Mother Goose Stories " , as well as the ghosts from " The Muppet Christmas Carol " . See Muppet vs Creature for more on this distinction . Alternate meanings . Dictionary definitions . The Oxford English Dictionary gives the following meanings : The earliest known usage of definitions 2 – 4 all date from after the original run of " The Muppet Show " , and the etymology of definitions 3 and 4 appears to derive directly from the show ; the implication being that a " muppet " is silly person or someone who cannot act without being animated or controlled by another . " muppet - style " . Among puppeteers and puppet builders , the term " muppet - style " is used widely to describe puppets that are similar in appearance and / or construction to Muppets , especially foam - based mouth puppets . Other definitions and uses . When asked " what ' s a Muppet ? , " Homer Simpson said : " Well , it ' s not quite a mop and it ' s not quite a puppet . . . but man [ laughs ] . So to answer your question , I don ' t know . " When Gonzo botches a magic act on " An Audience with . . . Joe Pasquale " , Pasquale says , " you muppet ! " In a promotional video for " The Muppets " , Fozzie Bear attempted to tell a joke starting " a Muppet is what you get when you cross a mop and a . . . no , no that ' s not it . A Muppet is what you get when you cross a guppy . . . " A promotional video for " The Muppets " asks the question " who are the Muppets ? " , while the movie contains a song in which Gary and Walter ask themselves if they are a " Man or Muppet . " A December 2013 screening of " The Great Muppet Caper " at the Brooklyn Academy of Music featured an introduction by Cheryl Henson , Peter Linz , and Walter . Walter explains to the audience that in England , instead of " idiot " they say " muppet " . Gordon Ramsay , a Brit , says " Get out of here , you Muppets " to Walter and Kermit in the " Food Fight " Muppisode . Walter says he loves it when people call him that , but Kermit , picking up on the derogatory nature of Ramsay ' s put - down , shelters Walter away from any further conversation . In 2014 , Disney officially started using the term as a verb . The phrase " Muppet Your Devices " appeared on the official " Muppets Most Wanted " website as a link to a section for downloads to be used on mobile devices . See also . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _