# Origin of "spanking the monkey"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-spanking-the-monkey/171834>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 29, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-spanking-the-monkey/171834 "2003-04-29T02:36:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fstrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@fstrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fstrath)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-spanking-the-monkey/171834/1 "2003-04-29T02:36:16Z")

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What is the origin of the phrase “spanking the monkey” as a euphemism for masturbation?

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**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-spanking-the-monkey/171834/2 "2003-04-29T03:30:47Z")

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A friend’s father had a series of taped lectures on the history of the English language that includes, among other things, the origin of this term. Unfortunately, I never listened to the complete lecture, but at least we know that there’s a definite origin (or that some professor thinks that there is, anyway).