Date: Mon, 16 Sep 1996 11:13:21 -0400

From: "M. Lynne Murphy" 104LYN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MUSE.ARTS.WITS.AC.ZA

Subject: more monkey business



hey y'all--



thanks again for all the help on "pop goes the weasel" the other

week. the struggle continues. the radio show on which i discussed

it was aired yesterday, and i've just received a call from a listener

(he called around my university looking for "the american lady" in

order to get me. can't believe he actually succeeded), telling me

that "monkey" in the song means `pawnbroker' in a brit slang. so, the

monkey chasing the weasel is the pawnbroker trying to get his goods.

this doesn't explain why the monkey is on the table in the verse that

goes "ev'ry night when i come home, the monkey's on the table/i take

a stick and knock him off/pop goes the weasel."



what do we think? is this the real monkey or just a tale? (the pun

works better in speech, but i can hear the groans already.) as i

said, i've checked several slang sources, but this was not among the

meanings i found. but who could compile a complete slang dictionary?



lynne



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