English · Slang Attested

suck the monkey

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To surreptitiously drink alcohol from a cask through an inserted tube.

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

A new farce, called "The Wigwam," was produced at the Lyceum Theatre on Monday night. [...] As might naturally be expected, Cora has another lover, one Mingo (Mr. Oxberry), known as the "Monkey's Uncle," from his habit of "sucking the monkey."

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To drink from a coconut filled surreptitiously with rum, etc.

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

to rob a cask of liquor by inserting a straw through a gimlet-hole, and sucking a portion of the contents. Originally, as Captain Marryatt states, to SUCK THE MONKEY, was to suck rum from cocoa-nuts, which spirit had been inserted in place of the milk, for the private use of the sailors. See TAP THE ADMIRAL.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Monkeys Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “suck the monkey” mean?

To surreptitiously drink alcohol from a cask through an inserted tube.

Is “suck the monkey” formal or informal?

suck the monkey is generally slang.