monkey business

monkey business

Silly or roguish behavior. If you keep up this monkey business, you're going to have detention next week, too!
See also: business, monkey
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

monkey business

 and funny business
silliness; dishonest tricks. That's enough monkey business. Now, settle down. Stop the funny business. This is serious!
See also: business, monkey
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

monkey business

Silly, mischievous, or deceitful conduct, as in The teacher told the children to cut out the monkey business and get to work, or I don't trust that lawyer-there's some monkey business going on. This expression transfers the tricks of monkeys to human behavior. [Late 1800s]
See also: business, monkey
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

monkey business

INFORMAL
If you talk about monkey business, you mean dishonest activities. We know there was a lot of monkey business with counting ballots in the previous election.
See also: business, monkey
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

ˈmonkey business

(informal) dishonest or silly behaviour: There’s money missing from the office and it’s not the first time it’s happened. I think there’s some monkey business going on. That’s enough monkey business. Let’s get down to more serious matters. This is a meeting, not a party.
See also: business, monkey
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

monkey business

and funny business
n. silliness; dishonest tricks. That’s enough monkey business. Now, settle down. Stop the funny business and get to work!
See also: business, monkey
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

monkey business

Tricks; underhanded goings-on. This term, which transfers the mischievous, sly actions of monkeys to human beings, began to be used in the 1880s. It may have been a replacement for monkeyshines, which originated in the United States about 1820 and meant mischievous tricks. Today we generally use “monkey business” to mean more nefarious activities.
See also: business, monkey
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • like nobody’s business
  • like nobody's business
  • punctuality is the soul of business
  • none of (one's) business
  • none of business
  • none of one's business
  • none of your business!
  • business woman
  • go about (one's) business
  • go about your business
References in periodicals archive
He was able to fool people again so they would invest in his monkey business.)
Coffee date CEO gets flak from Ella Cruz's mom: 'He has stalked my daughter'
A dashing red collar--finally shed, in a moment of chattering triumph--is the only overt sign of anthropomorphism in "Amazonia," a beguiling narrative creature feature that takes its monkey business rather seriously.
Amazonia
A Freedom of Speech, for othersC* An amusing 3 monkeys spin-off and more, where monkey business reflects darkly on the Mid-East and its freedom of press record,
Three Wise Monkeys' brother in (regional) politics!
7 Which act released their fourth album, Monkey Business in June 2005?
Pop posers
Philadelphia-based power-pop trio Early Ape will be up to serious monkey business as it brings its uncompromised blend of new wave and grunge up the next step of rock 'n' roll evolution.
Philadelphia musicians to go Ape at Lucky Dog
Brown's solo career began 12 years ago with the album Unfinished Monkey Business which was a massive critical success for its homely production values and taking a direction away from the Stone Roses.
We get in the swing with Ian... Also playing: Ian Brown
SMOKING pot, watching men picking up rocks with their penises and all manner of other monkey business (involving actual monkeys) .
Eye-watering sights off the tourist trail ..
THREE housemates get down to some monkey business yesterday.
Monkey business floors Bex
And if our debt is not restrained, future administrations may be tempted to engage in some monetary monkey business that will mean a catastrophic devaluation of the dollar--along with the retirement dreams of millions of middle-class Americans.
Spending like there's no tomorrow: it's time for Uncle Sam to call a credit counselor
Which UK sanctuary is the subject of Animal Planet TV show Monkey Business?
miniquiz
No, for she was hugging Cary Grant, who was monkeying around in his brand new sports car in Howard Hawks' 1952 Monkey Business. Written by Harry Segall, this comedy stars Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Hugh Marlowe and Marilyn Monroe in the role of Miss Lois Laurel: a role that added an ounce of nothing to Monroe's acting career.The events of this black and white sci-fi comedy are set in the corners of a bleak science lab at the Oxley Chemistry Company, where Doctor Barnaby Fulton (Grant) is trying to assimilate a formula that will help cure the illnesses resulting from the aging process.
Cinerama: Monkey Business
Both young adults and younger audiences with parents who like to read aloud will appreciate the lovely new Shirley Climo story collection Monkey Business: Stories From Around The World, featuring color drawings peppered throughout by Eric Brooks, and monkey-focussed stories from Africa, the Americas and Asia.
Monkey Business
GLOBAL multi-platinum Grammy Award winners The Black Eyed Peas return with the release of their eagerly anticipated fourth album, Monkey Business, the follow up to their 2003 breakthrough release Elephunk.
CD review
Monkey business Scientists obtained long-lived stem cells from monkey eggs stimulated to develop without being fertilized by sperm (161: 94).
Cell & molecular biology. (Science News of the year: the weekly newsmagazine of science)
THREE of Wales's new boys at Westminster are leading the fight against more monkey business in politics.
Westgate at Westminster: Gone bananas