monkey paw
Alternative form of monkey's paw.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Getting the job was a monkey paw because the commute is terrible.”
“He finally won the lottery, but it became a monkey paw when his long-lost relatives started demanding money.”
“The promotion offered the prestige he craved, yet it proved a classic monkey paw, as the crushing workload left him no time for his family.”
- 01
as clever as a cartload of monkeys
Very clever, cunning or mischievous.
- 02
barrel of monkeys
Someone or something very amusing or funny, fun, mischievous, etc.
- 03
brass monkey
Very cold.
- 04
brass monkeys
Very cold.
- 05
cheeky monkey
An impudent person, usually a child.
- 06
get one's monkey up
To make someone angry, annoyed or irritated.
- 07
grease monkey
A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.
- 08
like butter on a bald monkey
Very smooth.
Last updated August 10, 2026