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monkey business
noun
- frivolous or mischievous behavior.
- improper or underhanded conduct; trickery.
monkey business
noun
- informal.mischievous, suspect, dishonest, or meddlesome behaviour or acts
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of monkey business1
Idioms and Phrases
Silly, mischievous, or deceitful conduct, as in The teacher told the children to cut out the monkey business and get to work , or I don't trust that lawyer—there's some monkey business going on . This expression transfers the tricks of monkeys to human behavior. [Late 1800s]Example Sentences
Cola spoke to Salon about her extensive work, her comedy career and what monkey business she gets up to in "The Tiger's Apprentice."
“That was more than enough monkey business for us,†the department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce Momo’s capture.
Ron Kaufman, a McDaniel supporter and longtime RNC member from Massachusetts, said it is rare for members to walk away from public endorsements, though there is always room for some monkey business.
That focus leaves Picasso in slight shadow, gives Braque his fair due and crowns a new champion of media monkey business and painterly legerdemain.
The “Cheers†actress also suggested “monkey business†is at play when it comes to voting results.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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