Monkeys Cause the Best Kind of Trouble
2021-09-26
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1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
2On this program we will explore English expressions.
3On today's program we talk about animal expressions!
4English has many animal expressions - too many to name.
5Also, in English, as in many other languages, some animals have come to have certain reputations.
6That is to say, they are known for certain behaviors.
7For example, dogs are loyal.
8We often call them "man's best friend."
9Cats are independent and mysterious.
10In old stories, snakes and foxes are not to be trusted.
11Turtles do things slowly.
12While rabbits are full of energy.
13Then there are monkeys.
14Monkeys have a reputation for being silly and causing trouble.
15Good words for that are naughty and mischievous.
16Monkeys are especially known for being fun.
17And if one monkey is fun, just think how much fun many monkeys would be!
18If an activity or event is super fun, we can say it is "as fun as a barrel of monkeys."
19Even a fun person can be described as a barrel of monkeys.
20Now, a barrel is a large wooden container.
21I'm not sure how to get monkeys into a barrel.
22But I'm guessing it would be fun.
23While we are on the subject, keep in mind that fun and funny are used differently.
24If something is funny it makes you laugh.
25If something is fun it is simply enjoyable.
26For example, last weekend I went to a party and it was really fun.
27At the party, my friend told me a funny story, and I laughed out loud.
28Some word historians think that the expression "barrel of monkeys" was first recorded in 1895.
29It describes the playful behavior of these primates.
30We use it to describe any type of fun of activity or person.
31To call something a barrel of monkeys is definitely informal.
32You could call a really fun event a riot.
33Where I grew up in West Virginia, people might call something really fun a hoot.
34That is also informal and a bit rural.
35Now, monkeys do more than have fun.
36Because they are also smart, they are known for causing trouble.
37So, it is not surprising that we have monkey expressions that describe causing trouble.
38The first is to simply "monkey around."
39To monkey around means to goof around or cause harmless trouble.
40But it could lead to more serious trouble.
41So, a parent may warn a child, "If you monkey around someone could get hurt. So, stop it!"
42If I make a funny joke at a work meeting, someone could tell me to stop "monkeying around and get serious."
43Our last expression is "monkey business."
44Monkey business usually means dishonest activities.
45For example, most people expect a little monkey business in politics.
46It just seems to come with the territory, as we like to say.
47Here at VOA Learning English, we don't monkey around with English.
48We take it very seriously. We are all business.
49But not, you know, monkey business - that would be bad.
50And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
51Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. 2On this program we will explore English expressions. On today's program we talk about animal expressions! 3English has many animal expressions - too many to name. Also, in English, as in many other languages, some animals have come to have certain reputations. That is to say, they are known for certain behaviors. 4For example, dogs are loyal. We often call them "man's best friend." Cats are independent and mysterious. In old stories, snakes and foxes are not to be trusted. Turtles do things slowly. While rabbits are full of energy. 5Then there are monkeys. 6Monkeys have a reputation for being silly and causing trouble. Good words for that are naughty and mischievous. 7Monkeys are especially known for being fun. And if one monkey is fun, just think how much fun many monkeys would be! If an activity or event is super fun, we can say it is "as fun as a barrel of monkeys." Even a fun person can be described as a barrel of monkeys. 8Now, a barrel is a large wooden container. I'm not sure how to get monkeys into a barrel. But I'm guessing it would be fun. 9While we are on the subject, keep in mind that fun and funny are used differently. If something is funny it makes you laugh. If something is fun it is simply enjoyable. 10For example, last weekend I went to a party and it was really fun. At the party, my friend told me a funny story, and I laughed out loud. 11Some word historians think that the expression "barrel of monkeys" was first recorded in 1895. It describes the playful behavior of these primates. We use it to describe any type of fun of activity or person. 12To call something a barrel of monkeys is definitely informal. You could call a really fun event a riot. Where I grew up in West Virginia, people might call something really fun a hoot. That is also informal and a bit rural. 13Now, monkeys do more than have fun. Because they are also smart, they are known for causing trouble. So, it is not surprising that we have monkey expressions that describe causing trouble. 14The first is to simply "monkey around." 15To monkey around means to goof around or cause harmless trouble. But it could lead to more serious trouble. So, a parent may warn a child, "If you monkey around someone could get hurt. So, stop it!" 16If I make a funny joke at a work meeting, someone could tell me to stop "monkeying around and get serious." 17Our last expression is "monkey business." 18Monkey business usually means dishonest activities. For example, most people expect a little monkey business in politics. It just seems to come with the territory, as we like to say. 19Here at VOA Learning English, we don't monkey around with English. We take it very seriously. We are all business. But not, you know, monkey business - that would be bad. 20And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 21Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. 22__________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24reputation - n. the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something 25loyal - adj. having or showing complete and constant support for someone or something 26silly - adj. having or showing a lack of thought, understanding, or good judgment : foolish or stupid 27naughty - adj. behaving badly 28mischievous - adj. showing a playful desire to cause trouble 29primate - n. any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys 30informal - adj. characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary, casual, or familiar use 31hoot - n. something or someone amusing 32goof around - v. to spend time doing silly or playful things