Meaning & use
my monkeys my circus
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Meanings
phraseidiominformalfigurative
Used to say that you are responsible for a situation and the people involved in it.
Grammar: Used as a fixed saying, often after a description of a messy situation; it does not change form.
Patterns
- my monkeys, my circus
The team is chaotic, but they are my monkeys, my circus, so I'll sort it out.
I know the project is a mess, but it's my monkeys, my circus — I'll handle it.
phraseidiominformalfigurative
Used in the negative to say that a problem or situation is not your responsibility.
Grammar: Commonly used as 'not my monkeys, not my circus' to refuse to get involved.
Patterns
- not my monkeys, not my circus
If they want to argue about it, that's not my monkeys, not my circus.
She told me the office drama was not her monkeys, not her circus.
Common combinations
- my monkeys, my circus
- These are my students and my classroom — my monkeys, my circus.
- not my monkeys, not my circus
- I'm staying out of it; not my monkeys, not my circus.
- your monkeys, your circus
- You chose the team, so it's your monkeys, your circus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- my problem
- A direct, non-idiomatic way to say you are responsible for something; it lacks the humorous image.
- my responsibility
- More formal and neutral; it does not carry the idea of a chaotic group of people.
Commonly confused: my monkeys my circus or monkey business?
my monkeys my circus vs monkey business
This means dishonest or silly behavior. 'My monkeys, my circus' is about responsibility, not about behavior.
Practice
Your coworker asks you to fix a problem in another department that you have nothing to do with. What could you say?
Choose one answer.
The negative form 'not my monkeys, not my circus' means it is not your responsibility. 'That's my monkeys, my circus' would mean you are responsible, which is the opposite of what you want to say here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “my monkeys my circus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.