barrel of monkeys

English

WOTD – 1 March 2024

Etymology

Possibly influenced by barrel of fun or barrel of laughs.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌbæɹ(ə)l‿əv ˈmʌŋkiz/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌbæɹəl‿əv ˈmʌŋkiz/, /bɛ-/
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)
  • Hyphenation: bar‧rel of mon‧keys

Noun

barrel of monkeys (plural barrels of monkeys)

  1. (idiomatic, informal) Someone or something very amusing or funny, fun, mischievous, etc.
    Synonyms: hoot, riot
    He thinks he’s a barrel of monkeys, but he’s not particularly entertaining.

Usage notes

Also used with other vessels, such as bag of monkeys, cartload of monkeys, and wagonload of monkeys.

Translations

References

  1. ^ “a wagonload (also barrel, etc.) of monkeys” under “monkey, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
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