"More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys" - Origin?

[tanstaafl]

When did a barrel of monkeys become the standard for fun? The phrase "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" is somewhat common. Where did it come from?

My web searches have turned up nothing relevent (the domain belongs to an electronics store and I found a lot of auctions for the toy and several Lego sites for some reason) and I haven't found anything in any phrase dictionaries except the alternate versions "barrel load of monkeys" and "barrel full of monkeys".

Was there ever an amusement involving monkeys in a barrel; say at a circus sideshow? Is this a euphemism for sex? (Isn't everything?) Did the phrase originate with the "Barrel of Monkeys" toy? (I've assumed the toy came after the phrase but am willing to be demonstrated wrong.)

Any ideas?


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"You can't run away forever; but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start." --- Jim Steinman

Dennis Matheson --- Dennis@mountaindiver.com
Hike, Dive, Ski, Climb --- www.mountaindiver.com (http://www.mountaindiver.com)

I have no idea--but a barrel of monkeys really WOULD be fun, though, wouldn't it? Assuming there were airholes in the barrel; otherwise, the fun would pretty much peter out.

[John W. Kennedy]

A "barrel of" something doesn't necessarily mean a barrel with stuff in it, any more than a "quart of" something means something sitting in a one-quart container.

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John W. Kennedy
"Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays."
-- Charles Williams

Now that I think of it, cramming the monkeys into the barrel would be anything but fun. Do they have to be full to the brim, or does one give them room to move around inside the barrel?

[Satan]

Wonder if it has anything to do with poor people depicted in barrels earlier in this century... Or maybe going over Niagra Falls in a barrel...

Hey! That's it! What would be funner than a bunch of poor monkeys going over Niagra Falls in a barrel!! HA HA HA!!

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Yer pal,
Satan

[StrTrkr777]

Believe it or not many years ago in the old west there was a man who had gotten quite bored with the normal ideas of fun. He decided that he needed to come up with new ways to have fun.

First he looked at how the children played with sticks and the rings that go around the barrels and noticed the fun they had. He decided that if a ring from a barrel was fun then the whole barrel would be even better.

The only problem was the barrel did not roll well just with the stick and running along beside it. Next he tried climbing in the barrel and rolling down the hill in it. This of course made him quite dizzy. This led to him discovering he did not need whiskey to get that lightheaded feeling.

Next he tried going over a waterfall in the barrel. This was indeed quite fun but after a while it grew tiring.

Next he started experimenting and adding different animals to the barrel with him. He tried cats, too finicky. He tried dogs, too hyper or too calm. He tried snakes, but they tickled too much and gave him the heebie-jeebies. After much experimentation he tried monkeys. This seemed to give him the maximum amount of fun. They were playful but not too hyper. They tickled some, but not as bad as the snakes. They seemed to be the perfect addition to the barrel.

The others in town watched him as he did his testing. Then upon finding out that he considered the barrel full of monkeys to be the most fun, they started using the phrase almost as fun as or as fun as a barrel full of monkeys. Later they changed it to more fun that a barrel full of monkeys.

This spread throughout the land, what with telephone, and television being as predominate as they were.

Soon this became the phrase used all over the country.

So now you know the rest of the story. Or at least as much as I am going to type.

Jeffery

[EphSooner]

Don't you love it when a first-time poster revives a long-dead thread? Oh, well...

I have been wondering about the phrase "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" but have been unable to find a plausible account of its origins. I thought about asking Cecil, but he's a busy man, so I'm posting here first. Nice to know I'm not the only one who's been puzzled by this important question...

Anyway, I've come up with 2 theories, both of which suck.

1) The phrase "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" is a nostalgic comparison to the children's game "Barrel of Monkeys."

The problem with this theory is twofold. First, the game is relatively new (I think), but the expression seems old (the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms says it appeared in 1895, but they're not big on footnotes). Second, the game, as I recall, totally sucked. It was just these crappy little plastic monkeys that interlocked arms to make a chain. Which brings me to theory #2.

2) The phrase "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" is a sarcastic comparison to the children's game "Barrel of Monkeys." As in, Q: "How was the movie?" A: "More fun than a Barrel of Monkeys." Translation: the movie sucked, but not as bad as that crappy game.

Can anyone here enlighten me on the elusive origins of this nifty phrase?

[scm1001]

the only online source I could find was http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/shangrala/origins.html

and even she just speculated "One monkey arouses a great deal of amusement. Two more then double the interest and amusement. If one were to release a barrelful of monkeys, we must suppose that their antics would become hilariously comical. "

[samclem]

Lighter expounds on the original 1895 cite:

"Gore Student Slang : Barrel of monkeys, or bushel of monkeys, to have more fun than a. To have an exceedingly jolly time."

I know this doesn't offer much more on the origin.

[Melandry]

The OED online has this to say:

"e. a barrel (wagon-load, etc.) of monkeys: a type of something extremely cunning, mischievous, jolly, or disorderly, esp. in phr. as artful as a wagon-load of monkeys (and varr.). colloq. "

And goes on to quote various citations, many of which are along the lines of "as clever as..." or "as mischievous as..." Indeed, the OED seems to think "as artful as..." is the most common use. No real indications as to origin, although there is this citation:

"1958 Times 14 Aug. 9/4 A wagon-load of monkeys is, as everyone knows, a conveyance filled to the brim with a superabundance of high spirits, artfulness, and mischief."

According to this stite (http://www.yesterdayland.com/popopedia/shows/toys/ty1003.php), Barrel of Monkeys (the game) came out in 1966, so I think we can definitely rule out an origin from the game.