# What is the origin of the term "On like Donkey Kong?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736 "2006-03-24T16:27:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beltane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@Beltane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beltane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/1 "2006-03-24T16:27:53Z")
I could swear that I had heard “On like Donkey Kong” before the recent song Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, which most people I know think it the origin of the phrase. Anyone know of an earlier usage of the term? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/2 "2006-03-24T16:32:45Z")
> [@Beltane](#): > > I could swear that I had heard “On like Donkey Kong” before the recent song Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, which most people I know think it the origin of the phrase. Anyone know of an earlier usage of the term? Isn’t it from “American Pie”? ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/3 "2006-03-24T16:50:51Z")
It goes back to at least 1992. Ice Cube used that phrase in a song called “Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha” on his album _The Predator_ from that year. Here’s [a link](http://www.ohhla.com/anonymous/ice_cube/predator/nowigot.cub.txt) to a copyright breaking site with the lyrics. I don’t know if Cube coined the phrase, so it may well go back farther than that, but that’s the first time I remember hearing it. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/4 "2006-03-24T18:02:53Z")
In case anyone doesn’t know this is [Donkey Kong](http://www.fetchfido.co.uk/games/donkey_kong/donkey_kong.htm) which is from 1981. I’m sure adding “Get it on like” to the name is likely to have happened soon after its introduction. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/5 "2006-03-25T00:55:51Z")
To be honest this is one of those funny things. When I was a kid (way back in 89) we used to say that all the time. THen I didn’t hear it again for about 10 years, and now its cool again. Some of you older dopers might be used to such things, but its still weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/6 "2006-03-25T01:02:48Z")
> [@MonkeyMule](#): > > When I was a kid (way back in 89) we used to say that all the time. That’s cool like **MonkeyMule**. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/7 "2006-03-25T01:03:13Z")
I’ve never heard the phrase before, either back in the '80s or today. But the first thing I thought when I read it was that it sounds like an updated version of the old saying “in like Flynn.” Maybe there’s something to it…? ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-term-on-like-donkey-kong/349736/8 "2006-03-25T01:25:22Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > I’ve never heard the phrase before, either back in the '80s or today. But the first thing I thought when I read it was that it sounds like an updated version of the old saying “in like Flynn.” Maybe there’s something to it…? Maybe but usally when I heard it heads were about to get thumped, sooooooooo it may be a slightly difrent context 😉