monkeycide
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Etymology: From monkey + -cide.
Senses: examples: text: I do not think I could commit Monkeycide myself. They look, as lady Macbeth says, so like our Fathers.
ref: 1834, Thomas Hood, “Summer.—A Winter Eclogue.”, in The Comic Annual, London: Charles Tilt, […]:
text: This consideration, together with our having nobler game in view, prevented us from committing monkeycide, although the temptation was always in sight.
ref: 1839, Major E. Napier, “The Perkhal Lake—The Stirrup Cup—Sport in the Jungle—[…]”, in Scenes and Sports in Foreign Lands, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1840, pages 5–6:
text: But happily the reflection, ‘What would Professor Huxley say?’ joined with a certain ‘am-I-not-a-man-and-a-brother’ expression about the creature, checked me in time, and saved me from a crime worse than even monkeycide; for here there was no tail that I could have pleaded in excuse.
ref: 1864, John Ormsby, “A Ramble with the Lion-Hunters”, in Autumn Rambles in North Africa, London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, pages 198–199:
text: “MONKEYCIDE.” Harris, an assayer of Gold Hill, Nev., had a pet monkey […] Tenderly Harris nursed his little pet, but he could not save him. Jocko drank a gallon of water, rolled up his queer little eyes, and died. The Gold Hill News, which tells this bright little story, coins the word “monkey[-]cide.”
ref: 1877 March 16, The Chicago Daily Tribune, volume XXXI, Chicago, Ill., page 3, column 5:
text: The only consolatory or redeeming feature in the case, if by any stretch of fancy it can be called such, was founded upon the hypothesis that “burglary”—and not science was the object of the visitors, when “justifiable monkeycide” would be a legitimate verdict, even though according to the requirements of a late Chief Justice, the burglars in this case “had not all the instruments of their avocation visible upon them.”
ref: 1880, John Francis Fisher, “Notes to Chapter IX”, in The Future of the Human Race. Some of the Latest Fruits of Darwinism: The Subjects Associated Therewith Treated from a Social, Logical, Political and Satirical Point of View with Notes and References., London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co.; Liverpool: Edward Howell, page 76:
text: He was shockingly boy[-]like, but without stopping to decide whether it were a case of homicide, or merely monkeycide, I pressed him with difficulty into the bag and stealthily started for my room, attempting the while to allay my compunctions of conscience by believing my motif to be in the interest of science.
ref: 1890 October, James Ricalton, “The Summer Capital of India”, in Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly, volume XXX, number 4, New York, N.Y.: Frank Leslie’s Publishing House, […], page 415, column 1:
text: A showman has been traveling through that section, exhibiting a wonderful animal which be called the “missing link,” and claimed it was half monkey and half human. The other day the “missing link” and the show­man had a fracas and the former struck the latter with a club, killing “it” or “him.” The showman was arrested and the grave question now to be legally balanced is whether the accused is guilty of homicide or monkeycide.
ref: 1899 July 29, “Current Events”, in The Middletown Transcript, volume XXXII, number 30, Middletown, Del., front page, column 5:
text: Some chroniclers say that he was led through the streets with the dead monkey tied round his neck, and others, and these, I think, the more worthy of credence, affirm that, when he had passed his drills, he was given an extra allowance of “Guards” to expiate his crime of monkeycide.
ref: 1901, Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality, volume 33, page 372:
text: […] privileges and duties of individuals and groups were carefully delineated in a code of laws, the only capital offense being monkeycide.
ref: 1969, Trace, numbers 70–73, page 172:
text: “It’s not murder if you kill a monkey,” Joe said. “Murder’s just for killing people.” / “Well, what is it called for a monkey, then?” / “I don’t know. Monkeycide. Don’t ask so many stupid questions.”
ref: [1981, John Nichols, The Nirvana Blues, New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Books, published 1983, →ISBN, page 253:
text: The proceedings were very funny, and the jury composed of young ladies brought in a verdict of guilty of monkeycide,” which was appreciated by the audience after listening to the evidence.
ref: 1900 June 30, “[Neighborhood News.] Silver Creek Items”, in The Buffalo Commercial, page 7, column 2:
text: The Tacoma-Pierce County All-Star Select baseball team committed monkeycide Friday afternoon. Sparked by sterling defense from its infield, and timely — if not altogether plentiful — hitting, the host squad effectively killed the simian that rode high atop its back until Thursday.
ref: 1989 August 20, Doug Drowley, “Timely hits lift locals: Tacoma-Pierce beats Japanese”, in The Morning News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash., page C7:
text: The monkey — the one on Seattle’s back — is dead, Sonics coach George Karl declared. And before the afternoon was over, so much symbolic monkeycide had been committed — by the mascot, over the P.A., in the stands — that you half expected PETA protesters to arrive with an injunction.
ref: 1996 May 5, John Blanchette, “Monkey’s dead, and it looks like Houston’s next”, in The Spokesman-Review, page C1:
text: The monkeys reportedly are doing so well that their increasing numbers are creating a problem for nearby farmers, who are sometimes engaging in clandestine acts of monkeycide.
ref: 1998 February 18, Dave Boling, “No dumb animals, these monkeys soaking in spa”, in The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash., page A8, column 4:
text: THERE ARE REPORTS THAT WE MAY HAVE HUNG A MONKEY. A MONKEY. […] According to the local myths (and a rather too upbeat song given the topic of monkeycide) the locals had never seen a monkey nor a Frenchman, and decided to put whatever it was they’d found on trial right there on the beach.
ref: 2019, James Felton, 52 Times Britain was a Bellend: The History You Didn’t Get Taught at School, Sphere, →ISBN:
text: “Well, guess whose carcass turned up in the field? Yep, the chimp.” Lefleur laughed and shook his head. “Well, have the Missing Primate Bureau close that one out… unless you think it was… a monkeycide…? Lefleur said
ref: 2020, Scott Morales, Strawberry Concrete, Pen It! Publications, LLC, →ISBN:
text: Yet, I would like to know what is inside Shaggy’s head. For instance, why does he cry when he carries it about. Is the cry a sign of overwhelming affection or a cry of victory from the kill? Or, is it a cry of remorse after his feline instincts lead him to “monkeycide” then regret and self condemnation?
ref: 2022 April 3, Bud Herron, “Cat’s bats about monkey”, in The Republic, Columbus, Ind., page B4:
glosses: The killing of a monkey.