"I think I'm going to go ape!"
We have already used the phrase "I think I'm licked by a monkey" in a Featuring article about monkeys ( "Shut up, monkey dead!") thematized and is a joking expression of astonishment or incredulity.
This amusing expression brings a mischievous look to one's eyes. But where does this quirky expression actually come from?
From the military jargon of a long forgotten time
A common theory is that the phrase originated in the military jargon of times past. Soldiers who were guilty of misconduct were "loused" by their comrades as punishment. This meant they were mocked, teased and taken for a ride - a kind of monkey business as punishment.
This could refer to the "monkey cage," a kind of holding cell for recalcitrant soldiers. Whoever was imprisoned there was, so to speak, "loused by the monkey. The expression persisted and became a synonym for surprise and amazement.
Symbol of craziness & chaos
Another theory is that the monkey simply means madness and chaos. The monkey has always been considered the epitome of the unpredictable and absurd. So if you said "I'm fed up with the monkey", it meant that you found yourself in a crazy, insane situation that left you speechless.
When it itches & tickles
The connection to a tickling feeling when monkeys louse each other is also discussed. The itchy monkey thus stands for an irritating surprise that one would really not have expected.
Wherever the exact origin lies, the whimsical phrase has always aptly expressed when one is gripped by amazement at an unexpected situation. And you? Do you sometimes get licked by the monkey?
Text source
www.redensarten-index.ch
Oral sources