# Who or what is Curious George? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642 "2006-02-09T02:44:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/1 "2006-02-09T02:44:45Z")
I noticed in [this other thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357424&highlight=curious+george) that people were giving \*\*Curious George \*\* as a response to the question “name a famous George”. And today at lunchtime I overheard two people (Canadians or Americans I’d say by their accents) in a café referring to Curious George too. I’ve never heard the phrase before. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/2 "2006-02-09T02:46:44Z")
Series of children’s books about a mischievious young chimpanzee and his keeper, the Man in the Yellow Hat. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618164413/qid=1139453146/sr=2-1/ref=pd\_bbs\_b\_2\_1/102-9919808-8772151?s=books&v=glance&n=283155](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618164413/qid=1139453146/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-9919808-8772151?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/3 "2006-02-09T02:48:10Z")
It is a [children’s story](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/) (actually a series of children’s books) about a very curious monkey and the mischeif he gets into. They have been around for decades and are still going strong in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/4 "2006-02-09T02:53:49Z")
It’s also a new movie in the US, so it’s on the minds of a lot of people. Robin ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/5 "2006-02-09T02:56:18Z")
As mentioned an old series of children books. [On a sad note one of the Co-Creators Alan Shalleck was found dead outside his home, and police were treating the death as a possible homicide.](http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/02/08/obit.shalleck.ap/index.html) [There is a movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381971/) do out soon. Jim ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/6 "2006-02-09T15:47:10Z")
Many Americans have compared our president to Curious George, and Dick Cheney to The Man in the Yellow Hat. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/7 "2006-02-09T15:52:26Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > Many Americans have compared our president to Curious George, and Dick Cheney to The Man in the Yellow Hat. Somehow your post reminds me that there’s an old movie _I am Curious Yellow_ and I wonder what the connection might be. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/8 "2006-02-09T16:06:18Z")
On “The Simpsons”, Mr. Burns’ favorite knife-fighting monkey is Furious George. Now you know why. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/9 "2006-02-09T16:08:55Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Series of children’s books about a mischievious young chimpanzee and his keeper, the Man in the Yellow Hat. > > [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618164413/qid=1139453146/sr=2-1/ref=pd\_bbs\_b\_2\_1/102-9919808-8772151?s=books&v=glance&n=283155](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618164413/qid=1139453146/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-9919808-8772151?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) Hmm. In your link, Curious George is referred to both as a chimp and as a monkey, though technically these are two different things. Does anyone have the straight dope on exactly what kind of critter George is? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/10 "2006-02-09T16:24:40Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Hmm. In your link, Curious George is referred to both as a chimp and as a monkey, though technically these are two different things. Does anyone have the straight dope on exactly what kind of critter George is? He’s a cartoon. However, [drawings of him](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/) consistently show no tail, so he’s a chimp. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/11 "2006-02-09T16:25:06Z")
You don’t really want to know about Bicurious George… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/12 "2006-02-09T16:33:13Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > He’s a cartoon. > > However, [drawings of him](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/) consistently show no tail, so he’s a chimp. He could be a Barbary ape. They’re monkeys but don’t have tails. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/13 "2006-02-09T16:35:50Z")
Well, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curious_George) has this to say: > [@](#): > > Most curiously of all, George lacks a tail, a characteristic which traditionally separates monkeys from the great apes. His actions and appearance identify him more as a chimpanzee than as an Old World monkey. The most likely reason is that the original authors, like many people, simply didn’t differentiate beween the two, and just happened to illustrate him without a tail. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/14 "2006-02-09T16:37:25Z")
The books always refer to the character as a “monkey” so… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/15 "2006-02-09T18:17:26Z")
Well, whatever his species, he’s [not curious any more](http://ialwayswin.blogspot.com/2005/12/eroticizing-curious-george-again.html) :eek: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/16 "2006-02-09T18:39:01Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Hmm. In your link, Curious George is referred to both as a chimp and as a monkey, though technically these are two different things. Does anyone have the straight dope on exactly what kind of critter George is? Scientists have rigid definitions for words such as “monkey” and “ape,” but that doesn’t mean everyone does. > [@Merriam Webster](#): > > 1 : a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers; especially : any of the smaller longer-tailed primates as contrasted with the apes So, a monkey is **especially** , but not **necessarily** , a smaller, longer-tailed primate. It can refer to any nonhuman primate mammal. For the same reason that I don’t get worked up when someone calls an eggplant a vegetable I don’t get worked up when someone calls a chimp a monkey. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/17 "2006-02-09T18:49:21Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > …snip… > For the same reason that I don’t get worked up when someone calls an eggplant a vegetable I don’t get worked up when someone calls a chimp a monkey. > > Daniel Just curious, I know the Tomato is classified a fruit and the Eggplant is the same family (nightshade), so I assume that is a fruit. Is the pepper also a fruit? Jim ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/18 "2006-02-09T19:18:20Z")
Doesn’t the rigid scientific definition of “monkey” include the apes, though? That is to say, any common ancestor of all monkeys is also an ancestor of all apes (including us). And in what possible sense is an eggplant or a tomato not a vegetable? Both are of plant origin, both are edible plant parts, and both are more likely to be eaten in the main course than in dessert. Is there some other definition of vegetable? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/19 "2006-02-09T19:37:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And in what possible sense is an eggplant or a tomato not a vegetable? Both are of plant origin, both are edible plant parts, and both are more likely to be eaten in the main course than in dessert. Is there some other definition of vegetable? Some folks, in an attempt to be clever, will insist that the tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. I like to point them toward all the other vegetables that are not, by their weird defintion, vegetables, including pretty much all vegetables besides celery, tubers, and green leafy ones. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642/20 "2006-02-09T19:39:22Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Just curious, I know the Tomato is classified a fruit and the Eggplant is the same family (nightshade), so I assume that is a fruit. Is the pepper also a fruit? Yes, it is. It isn’t a matter of the family (potatoes also belong to the nightshade family, but a potato isn’t a fruit), but rather that eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers are all the matured reproductive part of a seed plant. Note that “fruit” has a strict botanical definition, but “vegetable” does not, and the two categories aren’t mutually exclusive. The eggplnt, for example, is clearly both fruit (botanical sense) and vegetable (culinary sense). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-or-what-is-curious-george/343642.md?page=2)