1 definition by EmilyW
Mess something up. Probably influenced by similar phrases like "monkey around with," "monkey business," and "throw a monkey wrench into." Possibly used as a euphemism for "muck up" by people who consider that already-euphemistic phrase too similar to "fuck up."
The phrase does not have any racial implications, though some have called it a "racist dog-whistle" referring to black people. The dog-whistle metaphor is apt because only a racist who secretly equates monkeys with black people would hear this phrase as having a racial dimension.
The phrase does not have any racial implications, though some have called it a "racist dog-whistle" referring to black people. The dog-whistle metaphor is apt because only a racist who secretly equates monkeys with black people would hear this phrase as having a racial dimension.
"The more you try to do certain things, the more you monkey it up." (Henry Homeyer, "Notes from the Garden," 2003)
"All I did was monkey it up." (filmmaker Kevin Smith, "My Boring-Ass Life," 2007)
"The last thing we need to do is monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state." (Congressman Ron DeSantis, 2018)
A: "I've never heard the phrase 'monkey something up'."
B: "That's funny because it has more than 400,000 Google hits, even excluding the quote from Ron DeSantis."
A: "You're right. My Internet research shows it's disproportionately used on repair-related forums, like 'I'm betting the alignment shop monkeyed it up' and 'You monkeyed it up with the vise jaws.' This supports the association with 'monkey wrench' and further discredits the claim that 'monkey up' is a racial slur."
"All I did was monkey it up." (filmmaker Kevin Smith, "My Boring-Ass Life," 2007)
"The last thing we need to do is monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state." (Congressman Ron DeSantis, 2018)
A: "I've never heard the phrase 'monkey something up'."
B: "That's funny because it has more than 400,000 Google hits, even excluding the quote from Ron DeSantis."
A: "You're right. My Internet research shows it's disproportionately used on repair-related forums, like 'I'm betting the alignment shop monkeyed it up' and 'You monkeyed it up with the vise jaws.' This supports the association with 'monkey wrench' and further discredits the claim that 'monkey up' is a racial slur."
by EmilyW August 30, 2018