In my (UK) experience it is used a lot in everyday life. As others have said, it kindly and playfully refers all manners of harmless cheek. I don’t think it has ever been used as a serious retort, not if you are really unhappy with what someone has said. It is almost a term of endearment.
Eg:
Child: “I want a sip of wine too!” Adult, smiling: “Wine is not for children, you cheeky monkey”
I’ve heard people say it lovingly to boyfriends/girlfriends, children, friends, even begging dogs. It’s a little old-fashioned, but still in use.
Well, from the various responses, clearly my understanding of the use of the phrase was rather incorrect.
Seems it is still a common enough real-life phrase, and unlike the perception I got from decades old British media, it does not exclusively refer to unwanted sexual advances and/or, er, groping, but rather is innocent enough to refer to kids acting up a bit and being kids, among other things.
It was quite common to call a rumbustious child a ‘cheeky monkey’ where I came from (Lancaster, England). It’s a little odd when directed at a female child but not wrong, per se.
If I, 26, were to call my brother, 20, a cheeky monkey it would be in a deliberately quaint tone. A sort of purposeful downplaying on his wrongdoing.
Really, it depends how you define common. Do I say it every day? No. Every month, or year? Maybe not. Would I think twice if I heard someone else say it? No. It’s common usage. Everybody knows how to use it, even if they don’t do so themselves. So it is common enough.
The implication being that Arkwright is being cheeky, and also not acting his age – that is to say, behaving in a juvenile manner (albeit not a “child-like” manner)… think “juvenile delinquent”.
I don’t think you’ve drawn the wrong inference from the TVs/Movies – just that the phrase is used more widely than just those examples.
It is (or at least was) a common phrase in NZ too – another inherited Briticism.
Wanted to add that while not super common, I think most people in Canada would know what is meant by ‘cheeky monkey’ and would not bat an eye if it was used in conversation.
