monkeyshine

See also: monkey-shine

English

Alternative forms

• monkey-shine

Etymology

From monkey +‎ shine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʌnkiˌʃaɪn/
• Hyphenation: mon‧key‧shine

Noun

monkeyshine (plural monkeyshines)

1. A puerile prank or trick.

   Synonyms: mischief, buffoonery, tomfoolery, monkeyism, shenanigan

   I have seen about as many monkeyshines from you as I will tolerate.

   • 1878, Augustus Radcliffe Grote, Popular Science Monthly, XIII. 435:

     You may have noticed barefooted boys cutting up monkey-shines on trees with entire safety to themselves.

Related terms

• barrel of monkeys
• monkey around

References

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “monkeyshine”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.