[Ads-l] "Monkey this up"

[Jonathan Lighter]

My alternative theory is that "monk up" is simply a phonological variant of
"muck up" and that "monkey up" began as a rationalization/ adaptation/
mishearing of "monk up."

JL

On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 6:12 AM Margaret Lee <
0000006730deb3bf-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> In the African American community, I've always heard it as "monk up,"
> meaning to mess something up.  Or that something is "monked up,"   meaning
> it is messed up, perhaps to avoid saying "fucked up."  Nevertheless, it is
> another example of how AAE speakers tend to shorten mainstream words and
> phrases for their own use, or perhaps hear them differently given the AAE
> oral culture legacy.
> --Margaret Lee
>    On ‎Wednesday‎, ‎August‎ ‎29‎, ‎2018‎ ‎01‎:‎12‎:‎26‎ ‎PM‎ ‎EDT, 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]
> >
> >
>
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