Phrase guide

the organ grinder, not the monkey

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ðiː ˈɔːɡən ˌɡɹaɪndə nɒt ðə ˈmʌŋki/
  • General-American: /ði ˈɔɹɡən ˌɡɹaɪndəɹ nɑt ðə ˈmʌŋki/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌŋki

1

noun

Meaning 1

Synonym of organ grinder (“the person who is in charge, rather than a lackey or representative; the person truly responsible for another's actions”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: organ grinder

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the common 19th-century practice of organ grinders training monkeys to dance to music played on a barrel organ in order to perform on the street and solicit donations.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: il vaut mieux s’adresser au Bon Dieu qu’à ses saints — the organ grinder, not the monkey
  • Polish: szef — the organ grinder, not the monkey
  • Polish: szefowa — the organ grinder, not the monkey