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- A monkey on your back means that you’re burdened by a problem, obligation, or some kind of addiction. Think of it as that pesky little critter who won’t let go, no matter how much you try. Its origin comes from the image of a person carrying an unshakeable amount of anger around, but it’s evolved in usage today.
grammarist.com › idiom › monkey-on-ones-back
To have a monkey on your back means you are grappling with a significant problem or a severe addiction that remains unresolved and is difficult to shake off. Think of it as an enduring burden, much like a persistent monkey clinging tenaciously to your shoulder.
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Learn the meaning and usage of the idiom "a monkey on someone's back", which means a persistent or troublesome problem. See examples, synonyms, and related words.
Aug 4, 2015 · Learn how the phrase "I've got a monkey on my back" evolved from a literal monkey on a horse to a figurative expression for a burden, a habit, or a compulsion. See historical references, literary examples, and alternative idioms from various sources.
- Based on a first glance, it's looking like the original expression is "have a monkey on the roof," meaning a mortgage, dating back to the 1800s. La...
- I think the phrase predates references to a mortgage as a " monkey on the roof ." The earliest references to piggybacking monkeys involve the backs...
- The original reference was to addiction, specifically to heroin, and there are several songs that use it in this way. These days people use it to r...
- There's a much more ancient tale involving a monkey on somebody else's back, namely the fable by Aesop (who lived circa 620–564 BCE) that is known...
- SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL. ancient stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys in short, the monkeys kept a record of the...
- The American Heros channel on TV stated that President U.S. Grant as an 11 yr. old boy rode a bucking horse as a challenge in a circus. No one else...
- I found an instance going back to 1809. Though it is not used figuratively like it is in The Parterre of Poetry and Historical Romance from 1836 (g...
- Hunters in Mozambique throw monkeys towards the wild hogs, the monkeys hop on and slow the hogs as they run. And a video demonstrating how it's dow...
Learn the meaning and origin of the idiom "monkey on your back", which means a longstanding problem or burden. Find out how it is used in different contexts and see examples and related idioms.
Learn the meaning and usage of the phrase "a monkey on back", which can refer to a drug addiction or a persistent problem. Find examples, synonyms, and related expressions from various sources.
If you have a monkey on your back, you have a problem, often an emotional problem, that makes your life difficult for a long period. They haven't beaten United in three years and it's a monkey on their backs that they are desperate to shake off.
Learn the meaning and usage of the phrase "monkey on one's back", which can refer to a vexing problem or burden, or drug addiction. See examples of how to use it in a sentence and take a quiz on related words.
