[Ads-l] "Monkey this up"

[Jonathan Lighter]

GB offers a 1942 snippet ex. of "monkeying it up," though I can't
absolutely confirm it. (HathiTrust seems to imply the correct date is 1945.)

There are a few more exx. in various forms.

And a few further exx. of  "monkey it up" that appear to mean 'to behave
wildly, like a monkey.'

HathiTrust has 1906 and 1922 "monkeyed up"s  that evidently mean 'strangely
dressed.'  Also an 1880 that means 'climb up  like a monkey.'

I suppose "monkey up" could also mean 'to add monkeys to.'   Why the hell
not?

JL

On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 6:39 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Fox News has distanced itself from the remark:
>
>
> https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-news-doesnt-condone-monkey-up-comment-black-candidate-1138242
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 1:12 PM Bonnie Taylor-Blake <
> b.taylorblake at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ah, thanks, Garson, for these instances of this specific construction
>> ("monkey [things] up"). This data compares well with DeSantis's usage.
>>
>> (Thanks too to Jacob and David for their replies.)
>>
>> -- Bonnie
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 1:04 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
>> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Bonnie: Here are instances of "monkeying things up" in 1953, 1983, and
>> > 1995 (please double-check for errors).
>> >
>> > Date: December 17, 1953
>> > Newspaper: The Owensboro Inquirer (Messenger-Inquirer)
>> > Newspaper Location: Owensboro, Kentucky
>> > Quote Page 1
>> > Database: Newspapers.com
>> >
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> > So--though I hate to let you in on my "secret"--I must explain and
>> > apologize for my absence. I've been out with the weatherman, monkeying
>> > things up. We turned some valves, pulled some levers, pushed some
>> > pedals and here it came--snow, icicles, zippy winds-followed by
>> > Goodfellows bearing gifts
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> > Date: July 18, 1983
>> > Newspaper: Chicago Tribune
>> > Location: Chicago, Illinois
>> > Database: Newspapers.com
>> >
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> > "The company is running smoothly, they have a good team, and they're
>> > in good businesses," said one analyst, who requested anonymity. "The
>> > last thing in the world they need is someone coming in from the
>> > outside and monkeying things up."
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> > Year: 1995
>> > Book: SQL for Dummies
>> > Author: Allen G. Taylor
>> > Publisher: IDG Books Worldwide
>> > Quote Page (Text seems to be on back cover)
>> > Database: Google Books Snippet; should be verified with hardcopy
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> >
>> > . Keep your database secure with access and function control commands
>> > that allow multiple users to share data resources without monkeying
>> > things up
>> > . Plus, Allen's top ten lists:
>> > . Ten common mistakes made in defining databases
>> > . Ten ways to make ...
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> >
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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