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Phrase Meanings » monkey on one's back
What does "monkey on one's back" mean?
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Drug addiction, as in He'd had a monkey on his back for at least two years. [Slang; first half of 1900s]
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A vexing problem or burden, as in This project has proved to be a monkey on my back—there seems to be no end to it. Both usages allude to being unable to shake off the animal from one's back.