I'll be a monkey's uncle

English

Etymology

This phrase dates from after 1926, the date of the widely publicized Scopes Trial in the United States, where the term first appears. It first appears in print, starting in the 1930s.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Phrase

(deprecated template usage) I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!

1. (idiomatic) (often preceded by well) expressing complete surprise or disbelief

   Well I’ll be a monkey's uncle! I would never have thought that tourists would go into space!

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:wow

See also

• Possible etymology