The Talk Show and Political Worlds were in a Sustained Tizzy about the word “Monkey” yesterday. I won’t even peck out a single word about what happened yesterday because too many people were (and are still) too excited about what happened yesterday and I am convinced that there can be no Sanity at the end of that Foolish Road.
I’ll just concentrate my Foolishness on the word “Monkey” itself.
I went online and came up with this from Oxford Dictionaries...
9 Monkey Phrases and Their Meanings
1. Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls off a Brass Monkey
>This “monkey” actually refers to the brass pyramid-like rack (called a monkey) that was once used to stack cannon balls on a ship.
>In extreme cold, the brass would contract and often force the cannon balls to roll out of the stack.
2. Monkey House
>Refers to the building in a zoo that houses the monkeys.
>By the early 20th century it was used to refer to buildings housing humans as well.
> It has been used as a satirical term for political institutions, such as Parliament or Congress.
>It has also been used as slang for Psychiatric Hospitals and Prisons.
3. Monkey Business
>Refers to fooling around or any sort of mischievous behavior, ranging from bribery in politics to kissing.
>As a verb it means to behave in a silly or playful way or to tamper with something.
4. Monkey Wrench
>The exact reasons why this adjustable wrench ended up being called a Monkey Wrench are still disputed.
>Any straightforward sense of utility is thrown slightly askew by the wrench’s appearance in the phrase, “To throw a monkey wrench in the works”.
>This term comes down to referring to the creation of an obstruction or hindrance.
>Probably the same obstruction or hindrance could have been accomplished with a pliers or a screw driver.
5. Monkey See, Monkey Do
>Monkeys (the non-human animals) are known to do Basic Imitation.
>Basic Imitation means the imitator simply copies an action and does not actually understand the reason or process.
6. More Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys
>Whether a cage, box, bag, barrel, or wagonload, this term brings up an image joy mixed with confusion.
7. Well, I’ll Be a Monkey’s Uncle!
>Used to express surprise or disbelief.
>Probably dates to 1925, the year of the Scopes Monkey trial, a landmark court case in Tennessee over the legality of teaching evolution in a state-funded school.
8. Monkey’s Wedding
>This South African phrase refers to the weather phenomenon of simultaneous rain and sunshine.
9. A Monkey on One’s Back
>This phrase started off specifically as an allusion to a drug problem (“monkey” referring to the addiction or the symptoms of withdrawal).
>Eventually it came to refer to any problem or issue that was a burden to someone.
Do you see what’s missing? ... There is no reference to Race or Racism in any of these 9 Monkey Phrases.
Oh well, who’s ever heard of the Oxford Dictionary anyway.
Would I kid u?
Smartfella
Lagniappe: If we can’t say “monkey”, what do we call a Monkey (the non-human animal that looks like a Monkey)?
