An idiom used to describe the reverence given to someone or something that is venerated. The term originated from a scene in
2001: A Space
Odyssey. In this scene, apes, the early ancestors of mankind, find and venerate a mysterious
monolith that has appeared near their home.
Vasili: Did you
see the way those Trump supporters unquestioningly cheered at
everything he had to
say?
Akseli: Its just another case of the apes and the monolith, Vasili.