(a) monkey on your back

(a) monkey on your back
a monkey on (your) back a serious problem that you cannot forget.

When you know you have to do everything perfectly, it puts a giant monkey on your back.

Usage notes: also used in the form get the monkey off your back - to end a problem:

By winning the championship, this team has finally got the monkey off its back.

Etymology: based on an earlier meaning of a monkey on your back (= a habit of using an illegal drug)

New idioms dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Monkey on Your Back — Single by Aldo Nova from the album Subject...Aldo Nova B side Armageddon Released 1983 Format …   Wikipedia

  • a monkey on your back — a problem that you cannot easily get rid of or solve : a problem or situation that makes you unhappy and that lasts for a long time His drug addiction has been a monkey on his back for years. He finally got the monkey off his back and kicked his …   Useful english dictionary

  • get the monkey off your back — If you get the monkey off your back, you pass on a problem to someone else …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • Monkey on My Back — For the 1957 film, see Monkey on My Back (film). Monkey on My Back Single by Aerosmith from the album Pump Released 1990 Format Vinyl Record …   Wikipedia

  • monkey — 1 noun (C) 1 ANIMAL a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees and lives in hot countries 2 CHILD informal a small child who is very active and likes to play tricks: Stop that, you little monkey! 3 monkey business… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • monkey — mon|key1 [ˈmʌŋki] n [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: Probably from Low German] 1.) a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees and lives in hot countries 2.) informal a small child who is very active and likes to play… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • monkey — mon|key1 [ mʌŋki ] noun count * 1. ) an animal with a long tail that climbs trees and uses its hands in the same way that people do 2. ) INFORMAL someone, especially a child who behaves badly but in a funny way rather than in an annoying way: Ooh …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • monkey —    1. (the) American    addiction to illegal narcotics    Probably from having a monkey on your back which you cannot shake off:     You think it s the monkey that s killing you. (Macdonald, 1971, writing of a heroin addict, not a zoo keeper)… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • Monkey Business — Álbum de estudio de The Black Eyed Peas Publicación 30 de mayo, 2005 (UE) Grabación 2004 2005 Género(s) Hip hop R B Pop …   Wikipedia Español

  • Monkey Business — Monkey Business …   Википедия

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