# Three / Four Monkeys

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 11, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857 "2003-01-11T00:17:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kespruill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9c0ed/32.png) [@kespruill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kespruill)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857/1 "2003-01-11T00:17:29Z")

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About the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkeys, I have heard that there once was a fourth monkey (“do no evil”), who was modestly covering his privates. However, I have been told that it was done away with by some prudish Victorian types. Anyone know anything about this?

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857/2 "2003-01-11T01:15:27Z")

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No, that’s a novelty variation, came around a lot later; you can get one for $4 on eBay.

How would Victorians “do way” with it?

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**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857/3 "2003-01-11T01:24:18Z")

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While in Japan, I visited a temple in the ancient city of Nikko. Supposedly this is where the 3 monkeys (see/hear/speak) originated.

Do no evil? [judge for yourself from my 1st hand picture](http://members.cox.net/jwlemontt/dsc_189.jpg)

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857/4 "2003-01-11T01:45:19Z")

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I thought the fourth monkey was “Have no fun.”

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**Author:** ![Maxxxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Maxxxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maxxxie)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-four-monkeys/147857/5 "2003-01-11T01:49:59Z")

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kespruill,

My mum had one of these novelties. The fourth monkey in this particular example wasn’t “covering” his monkey bits. He was monkeying around with them, if you get my drift 😃

Max 🙂  
PS welcome to the boards 🙂