Did you know that December 14th is Monkey Day? It’s an unofficial international holiday dedicated to celebrating monkeys and “all things simian“—that includes not only monkeys, but also lemurs, tarsiers, apes, and other non-human primates. In honor of this fun occasion, let’s explore some interesting monkey-related idioms in the English language.

To make the most of this article, we recommend that you study the list of idioms in the table below. Note that it will be easier to do this on a laptop rather than a smartphone. Read the definitions and examples carefully, and then follow up with the exercises below.

Idiom	Meaning	Examples
monkey business	behavior that is not acceptable (1) or is dishonest (2)	1) Stop that monkey business and get to work! 2) The company was involved in some shady monkey business that eventually led to an investigation.
monkey see, monkey do	copying someone’s actions without thinking	The kids are just doing what they see on TV—monkey see, monkey do.
to put the monkey on someone’s back	to place the responsibility or blame for something on someone else	If the project fails, don’t put the monkey on my back—this was a team effort!
to have a monkey on your back	to have a serious problem that is making your life difficult or unpleasant	He’s been struggling with his gambling addiction—it’s like having a monkey on his back.
as busy as a one-armed paper hanger with a monkey on his back*	extremely busy or overwhelmed, especially when managing multiple chaotic tasks at once	I’ve been running around all day—I’m as busy as a one-armed paper hanger with monkeys on his back!
to get a monkey off your back	to rid oneself of a persistent problem or burden	Finally finishing the project felt like getting a monkey off my back.
a monkey on one’s shoulder	a troublesome problem or burden that is always with you (similar to the “monkey on your back” idiom)	She had a monkey on her shoulder that made it hard to enjoy her success.
make a monkey out of someone	to mock, deceive, or make someone look foolish	He made a monkey out of me by tricking me into that bad deal.
to throw a monkey wrench in the works	to do something that prevents a plan or activity from succeeding	The funding for the project was withdrawn so that really threw a monkey wrench in the works.
I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! (old-fashioned)	used to show you are very surprised	Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! I never thought we’d make it this far.
more fun than a barrel of monkeys	very enjoyable or amusing	The party was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
monkey in the middle	a game played by children where one person is in the center, trying to intercept the ball as others toss it between them. It can also refer to a person caught between two opposing parties or situations.	I’m just the monkey in the middle trying to mediate between the two sides.
to monkey around	to behave in a silly, playful way	Stop monkeying around and help me clean up this mess.
like a monkey on a stick	in an awkward or unstable position	He was hanging onto the side of the cliff like a monkey on a stick.
as nutty as a monkey	very silly or eccentric	That guy is as nutty as a monkey—he’s always up to something ridiculous.
a monkey’s paw	a metaphor for an unwanted consequence of a wish or desire (this phrase comes from the short story The Monkey’s Pawby W.W. Jacobs)	Be careful what you wish for—it’s a monkey’s paw situation.
a monkey’s fist	a type of knot used in ropework, but it’s also used metaphorically to refer to something tightly bound or hard to escape	Once you’re in that contract, it’s like a monkey’s fist—you’ll be stuck.
to swing from the rafters	to behave in a wild or unrestrained manner, like a monkey swinging through trees	The kids were swinging from the rafters during the school party!
don’t let the monkey drive the car	don’t let someone who is not qualified or capable take control of something important	He has no experience managing finances—don’t let the monkey drive the car!
monkey’s share	a disproportionate or large share of something, often used to refer to a part that’s more than expected	He took the monkey’s share of the dessert—there’s hardly any left for the rest of us!

*As busy as a one-armed paper hanger with a monkey on his back is a combination of two idioms: busy as a one-armed paper hanger (meaning constantly busy, active, and/or occupied with something) and with a monkey on one’s back (meaning having a problem that is difficult to get rid of or solve). This combination humorously highlights a difficult situation that involves both busyness and an unsolved problem.

Practice

Exercise 1. Click the link here and match the idioms with their definitions.

Exercise 2. Click the link here and choose the right words to complete the sentences.

Exercise 3. Click the link here and complete the text with the right idioms.

🙉 Would you like to try using one or more of these idioms for something relevant to you? Think of a recent situation in your life and write about it in the comments below using the idiom(s) of your choice.