Chapter Monkey with a Long Tail to Montesinos of M by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Monkey with a Long Tail to Montesinos

Monkey with a Long Tail (A). A mortgage. A monkey (q.v.) is slang for £500.

Monkey's Allowance More kicks than halfpence. The allusion is to the monkeys carried about for show; they pick up the halfpence, but carry them to the master, who keeps kicking or ill-treating the poor creatures to urge them to incessant tricks.

Monkey's Money I will pay you in monkey's money (“en monnaie de singe”) - in goods, in personal work, in mumbling and grimace. The French had a law that when a monkey passed the Petit Pont, of Paris, if it was for sale it was to pay four deniers (two-thirds of a penny) for toll; but if it belonged to a showman and was not for sale, it should suffice if the monkey went through his tricks.

“It was an original by Master Charles Charmois, principal painter to King Megistus [of France], paid for in court fashion with monkey's money”- Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel, iv. 3.

Monkir and Nakir, according to Mahometan mythology, are two angels who interrogate the dead immediately they are buried. The first two questions they ask are, “Who is your Lord?” and “Who is your prophet?” Their voices are like thunder, their aspects hideous, and those not approved of they lash into perdition with whips half- iron and half-flame. (See Munkar .)

“Do you not see those spectres that are stirring the burning coals? They are Monkir and Nakir.”- Beckford: Vathek.

Monmouth The town at the mouth of the Monnow.
   Monmouth. The surname of Henry V. of England, who was born there.

Monmouth Cap A soldier's cap.

“The soldiers that the Monmouth wear,
On castles' tops their ensigns rear.”

“The best caps were formerly made at Monmouth, where the cappers' chapel doth still remain”- Fuller: Worthies of Wales, p. 50.

Monmouth Street (London) takes its name from the unfortunate son of Charles II., executed for rebellion in 1685. Now Dudley Street.

Monnaie de Basoche Worthless coin; coin not current; counters. “Brummagem halfpennies.” Coins were at one time made and circulated by the lawyers of France, which had no currency beyond their own community. (See Basochians .)

Mononia (3 syl.). Munster.

“Remember the glories of Brien the brave
Though the days of the hero are o'er,
Though lost to Mononia, and cold in the grave,
He returns to Kinkora [his palace] no more.”
T. Moore: Irish Melodies, No. 1.

Monophagous The eater of one sort of food only. (Greek, monos phagein.)

Monophysites (4 syl.). A religious sect in the Levant, who maintained that Jesus Christ had only one nature, and that divine and human were combined in much the same way as the body and soul in man. (Greek, monos phusis, one nature.)

Monothelism consisted in the doctrine that, although Christ has two distinct natures, He never had but one will, His human will being merged in the divine. (Greek, monos-thelema, one single will.)

Monroe Doctrine The American States are never to entangle themselves in the broils of Europe, nor to suffer the powers of the Old World to interfere in the affairs of the New; and they are to account any attempt on the part of the Old World to plant their systems of government in any part of North America dangerous to American peace and safety. James Monroe was twice president of the United States. (1816 and 1820.)

Monsieur. Philippe, Duc d'Orléans, brother to Louis XIV., was called Monsieur; other gentlemen were only Monsieur This or That. (1674-1723.)
   Monsieur le Coadjuteur. Paul de Gondi, afterwards Cardinal de Retz (Ress). (1614-1679.)
   Monsieur le Duc. Henri-Jules de Bourbon, eldest son of the Prince de Condé