monkey business

Meaning

1. (idiomatic, informal, uncountable) Activity that is mischievous, stupid, or time-wasting.
2. (idiomatic, informal, uncountable) Activity that is morally questionable or even mildly illegal.

Synonyms

mischief

trick

joke

🤣

practical joke

tomfoolery

dodgy dealings

dirty business

monkey-business

hanky-panky

Translations

Affentheater

fauler Zauber

krumme Tour

βρωμοδουλειά

bêtise

espièglerie

fricotage

combine

monkey business

gesjoemel

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmʌŋkɪ ˌbɪznɪs/

Etymology

From monkey + business, probably a calque of Bengali বাঁদরামি (bãdrami, “mischief”, literally “monkey-behaviour”), from বাঁদর (bãdor, “monkey”) + -আমি (-ami, suffix forming nouns referring to the properties, qualities, or states of the words to which it is attached), from the perception that monkeys behave mischievously.