[Ads-l] "Monkey this up"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

On twitter Bonnie said "now I see quite a few hits for "monkeying up"
in newspaperarchive.com."

https://twitter.com/btaylorblake/status/1034880843909672960

I can also see numerous matches for "monkeying up" in newspapers.com,
but the meaning varies, and some matches point to the same text in
multiple newspapers.

Here is a match in 1943 with the sense: to botch, to disrupt

Date: January 14, 1943
Newspaper: East Liverpool Review (The Evening Review)
Newspaper Location: East Liverpool, Ohio
Article: Stop 'Undercover' Killing of Livestock
Author: Ben Jenkins (Cleveland Livestock News)
Quote Page 4, Column 5

https://www.newspapers.com/image/65275312/

[Begin excerpt]
They are disrupting the production program, the distribution program
and are monkeying up the whole war-food plan. If that isn't sabotage
then I have missed entirely the meaning of the word.
[End excerpt]

On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 10:37 PM Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org