monkey paw

English

Noun

monkey paw (plural monkey paws)

1. (idiomatic, usually attributive) Alternative form of monkey's paw.
   • 1995, Marcia Golub, Wish-bone‎^[1], page 334:

     "Seems we were all living bad dreams," he said. "Wishes coming true in a monkey-paw way."

   • 2003, Darren Greer, Tyler's Cape‎^[2], page 120:

     It was Tom's monkey paw, that wish that he could be the provider in the family. Suddenly my father was dead and the gauntlet was passed to my oldest brother.

   • 2010, Ann Aguirre, Hell Fire‎^[3], page 304:

     For obvious reasons, I didn't trust demon favors. I had to think quickly, something that wouldn't backfire. There was a lesson to be learned from that whole monkey paw deal.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:monkey paw.