The article discusses the use of fairy-tale allusions in the English-language communication. The study shows the playing potential of fairy-tale allusions, analyses their use in phatic and evaluative functions. The use of fairy-tale allusions makes it possible to establish and maintain friendly relationships with the addressee, to soften communicative intention in expressing criticism, to comply with the general cultural norms of communicative behaviour adopted in the English-language communication. The paper identifies the level-segment layers of the concept CINDERELLA, which are used most often to express the speaker’s different intentions implicitly.