I'm old Florida and I know what Monkey Up means.

[tavernier]

It means that your racist, ugly ass, inbred cross-eyed, sunken-nosed skull is an indication of your mental deficiency, probably a result of generations of bad moonshine and serious dental decay.

I’ve seen your billboards in the northern part of my state. They all are for pro life, and they all are next to ads for strip clubs. You are all little pinched faced fuckers, and hopefully the majority of my state will have seen the last of your kind come November.

[BootinUp]

1. You sold me, lol. Nt

[radical noodle]

2. We won't see the last of them

but maybe we'll see less of them. I sure hope so.

[Az_lefty]

3. Used to live in Florida, your right

[mitch96]

16. I still do.....

And your right!!!
m

[3catwoman3]

4. You have a way with words!

Very colorful, and made me snort out loud.

[sheshe2]

5. Sing it!

[diva77]

6. I think the entire OP would make a fabulous T-shirt &/or mug!

[Ms. Toad]

7. I am curious about the origin of the phrase.

Until I this week it would not have occurred to me that it was racist - and I haven't been able to find a clear explanation of its origins.

I assume (but can't find any documentation) that monkeying things up is derived from throwing a monkey wrench into the works, since their meaning is similar.

But even assuming they are related, the origin of the phrase monkey wrench is unclear. There was one racist origin story - but that seems to have been debunked (as has the alternate story that it was named for patent holder Moncky).

It sounds like even outside of the context in which it was used this week, that at least in Florida its origins and meaning are clearly racist. Is there a history of how this phrase came into existence?

[yardwork]

12. I've lived in the south for 40 years.

Whenever a white southerner uses the word "monkey" while talking about an African American person, the intent is clear.

This is a very old slur. To justify slavery, white southerners created the lie that black people were not really human.

By evoking that old message, the scum bag racist was trying to stir up old deep-seated fears and hatred among whites. It was a deliberate trigger to stir up emotional reactions and get out the white vote.

[Pacifist Patriot]

24. Exactly

[Ms. Toad]

25. I have no doubut DeSantis was being racist -

or that using that phrase in connection with a black person is racist.

Both monkey wrench and monkeying things up are familiar phrases from my childhood, in a lily white area. So I'm not aware I've heard it being used in connection with blacks - certainly it is not the predominant use I've encountered.

That said, there was plenty of racial bias/hatred in that lily white area - so that still makes it suspect, even though it was only used in connection with whites.

[yardwork]

26. It has nothing to do with a monkey wrench.

[Ms. Toad]

29. Do you have a source for that -

I'm trying to sort out where it comes from, and am drawing a blank.

[yardwork]

30. It's been explained in detail here in this thread.

[Ms. Toad]

32. I am looking for actual historical references,

not posts rationally explaining why, when used in the context of blacks, monkey is racist.

I am looking for historical origins. In searching for the origin of the phrase, I have found several other reference to monkey things up originating from monkey wrench. I.e. throw a monkey wrench into things = monkey things up. Those are, like the posts I've seen here, "I've always heard" explanations - not reliable explanations of word/phrase origins.

The origin of monkey wrench, itself, is not racist. Per snopes (and other places, but it is most succinct on snopes), the name monkey wrench comes from the apearance and function of the wrench - with a rotating tail that opened and closed the mouth. If monkey things up really comes from throwing a monkey wrench into things, it may not be inherently racist.

What I haven't found is where the transition from monkey wrench to throw a monkey wrench in things came, and why. I also several references equating throwing a monkey wrench into things with monkeyings up - but none that are different in quality than the musings here. So I am inherently as suspicious of them as I am of the assertions without citation here.

I am NOT disputing that DeSantis' use was racist (it was), and I am not disputing that the historial use in Florida is racist (I have no basis to make an assessment, but several Florida residents posting here assert that it is racist). But, that is not my history with the phrase, so I want to understand whether it is racist by context and local history - or inherently racist.

[Hortensis]

13. I assumed it was a racist take on "muck up."

Hard to imagine it's not connected. And monkey wrench would also make sense.

DeSantis is going whole-racist. He emphasized and enunciated it very carefully, mon-kee, to make sure no one missed it.

Quite incredible. I remember when no one wanted to be considered racist and a sure way to rein in conversations that were heading out of bounds was to hint at that. Immediate full stop, and usually 180 onto something else. That's still the way among those I know here in the deep south, in public, and I believe the deploring I heard from a few lately was sincere.

[Cosmocat]

15. He hit the trifecta in that statement

including "articulate" and "performed well."

That wasn't a dog whistle, it was air horn.

[Hortensis]

18. Oh, yes! Got lots of air time from it also.

Guessing, having opened this way, he'll taper it down dramatically before too long to allow those still capable of being shamed time to put it behind them, and him.

Even with the hard right finally waking up to the demographic progression (slow learners) and bouncing off the walls, it's hard to believe continuing this way wouldn't risk driving significant support among others away and inflaming opposition.

[rusty fender]

19. Whether "monkey up" as a phrase has

its origin in monkey wrench or not, in the context used by Florida klansman DeSantis, it was definitely a racist slur. That was clear as day

[Ms. Toad]

27. No question of his meaning.

I'm just curious about the general origin of the phrase since I've never heard it in a specifically racial context before.

[mythology]

20. I would say if it was in isolation, maybe

But he was also a moderator of a racist facebook group and was a presenter at a conference along side overt racists.

The phrase monkeying around is a thing and the parkour group I train with call their advanced kids the "monkey squad", but in the context of a guy who has done other things that demonstrate his tendencies on that front, it's hard to say he didn't mean it in a racial fashion.

I don't refer to anything as monkeying around because I don't want to come across as using it in a racist fashion. I'm not running for office.

At the very least, it's a phrase he should have been more careful of.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. I don't know if this is the exact origin, but...

I am from an old Georgia/Florida family. I heard "monkey it up" used often enough by my grandparents' generation to have immediately grasped what that foul man meant.

Yes, it means the same as "screw it up." But most importantly it means that because to do something like a black person (monkey) was to do inferior work. Because black people can't possibly do things as well as whites and will screw it up if left without white supervision.

It is a thoroughly racist expression and I rather suspect DeSantis understands the phrase exactly as my grandparents and great aunts and uncles used it.

[Ms. Toad]

28. Do you have a cite for that origin?

I did a medium-ish search and couldn't find a racial origin for the phrase.

(I agree that DeSantis was absolutely using it in a racist context.)

[Pacifist Patriot]

34. No

Just experience. My grandparents and their siblings weren't noting etymology when making their utterances. Context sufficed for me.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. You don't have to be old or a Floridian to know what it means.

[C Moon]

9. You're saying it means he's a Trumpublican. They're all racist unAmerican selfish a-holes.

[Lochloosa]

10. Right there with you tavernier. Grew up around these assholes.

[peekaloo]

11. My imaginary PAC wants to produce billboards that read:

Florida, Don't Asshole this up by voting for regressive and racist policies.




p.s. I laughed out loud over the pro-life/strip club billboard(s) observation! That scary one off I-75 used to give me nightmares.

[retread]

14. I'm old Florida also. It hasn't been that long ago that the soulless thugs ran rampant. One of

their ilk, JB Stoner said, "...black people as an extension of the ape family..".

To hear this shit again in 2018 Florida from a candidate for Governor makes me nauseous.
Crawl back under your rock you f##k'n cockroach!

[tavernier]

17. They figure that now they have a rich old white guy

proudly waving their racist flag for them, they can boast of their ignorance without consequence.

He says he won’t apologize for the dog whistle, and that is good, because at least we know that he has zero conscience and morals and is proud of that.

They are even too dumb to know that the rich old white guy has less respect for them than he has for the people they hate, because they won’t be used to fill his bottomless ego.

[Scurrilous]

21. K&R

[Iggo]

22. I'm way out here in California, and I heard it loud and clear.

He knows what it means and he knew what he was saying.

[SWBTATTReg]

33. I'm in MO and I heard it L&C. He knows what it means and what he was saying...

Pathetic and acting like a spoiled 5 year old who doesn't know better. Despicable.

There were a lot of sayings such as this that brought the racism to the front (and were meant to). Normal society such as all of us have learned this and don't ever use language like this. It's hurtful and uncalled for.

[DonCoquixote]

31. what is tragic is

Granted, Adam Putnam sold out to the NRA and big sugar, thanks in no small part to Rick Scott. However, he was much more the sort of centrist John McCain is beign lauded for, for example, he was known for being a champion for people who tried to apply for social security benefits. He is also OLD FLorida, with about four generations in the pandhandle.

What is the point? The point is they could have picked a strong candidate, liked person, and a true native. Instead, Trump stick his nose in and anoints deSantis. That shows they WANT the controversy and hate.

[coeur_de_lion]

35. My family are Florida settlers

I live in the town they founded.

He might as well have called Gillum ‘Bama.

That’s what they called blacks to their face in my Mother’s Day.

Behind their backs it was the n-word.

We ALL knew just what he meant that disgusting bigot.

He was telling his base “yes I am a bigot just like you.”