Monkey Idioms

Here is a list of idiomatic expressions about monkeys. Each idiom is followed by its meaning or definition.

Go ape

To go ape over somebody or something is to become angry or excited about somebody or something.

• My boss went ape when he realized that I hadn’t finished the project.

Make a monkey out of (someone)

To make a monkey out of somebody is to make them look foolish.

• He made a monkey out of me by calling me names in front of my girlfriend.

Monkey around with somebody or something

To monkey around with somebody is to waste your time with them.

• You must stop monkeying around with that old computer if you want to finish the work on time.

Monkey business

The term monkey business is used to refer to an illegal activity.

• You must stop the monkey business if you don’t want to get into trouble.

A monkey on one’s back

A monkey on your back is a serious problem that stops you from being successful.

Monkey see, monkey do

This expression is used to refer to someone who copies something that somebody does.

• It is a case of monkey see, monkey do. She does everything that her cousin does.

More fun than a barrel of monkeys

If something is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, it is very fun.

• He is quite popular with his friends because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.