monkey in the middle
The phrase "monkey in the middle" originated from a popular children's game and is also used metaphorically to describe being caught between two opposing sides.
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Definition
A2Children's Games
(informal)A game where two players throw an object over a third player, who tries to catch it.
Example
- The kids played monkey in the middle at the park, laughing as they tried to keep the ball away from the 'monkey'.
B2Figurative
(idiomatic)A situation where someone is caught between two opposing sides or forces.
Example
- She felt like the monkey in the middle during the negotiation, with both sides pressuring her to take their side.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "monkey in the middle":
piggy in the middlemonkey upmonkey businessmonkey showmonkey manmonkey boywhite monkeymonkey flipmonkey grassmonkey humping a footballdown the middleshake that monkeymonkey bridgegreen monkeysuck the monkey