# What does ‘monkey business’ mean?

To “monkey business” means to dishonest or mischievous behaviour. A 19th-century American idiom drawn from the antics of monkeys; not in Brewer's 1898.

## What it means

- A 19th-century American idiom drawn from the antics of monkeys; not in Brewer's 1898.

## Action steps

1. Informal accusation of misconduct or foolery.
2. Example: No more monkey business — get back to work.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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