Where does the slang word Monkey work, baboon chop come from?

Monkey work, baboon chop is a slang term from Nigeria. It is part of the rich slang vocabulary used in Nigeria and across Africa.

Monkey work, baboon chop

🇳🇬 Nigeria Slang

Added Aug 02, 2025 · 1 definition

TOP DEFINITION

Monkey work, baboon chop definition 1

A biting idiom describing injustice, where one person works like a "monkey" and another (the "baboon") eats the fruit of that labor. It's used to complain about situations where someone does the work and someone else takes the money or credit.

"If I do all the sales and oga takes the profit, that's monkey work, baboon chop. (English, meaning "I do all the work and my boss takes the money – an unfair situation.")"

by Khulekani Dladla Elder · Aug 02, 2025

Word Details

Country: 🇳🇬 Nigeria
Definitions: 1 community definition
Added: August 2025

↻ Similar Words

Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop 🇳🇬 Nigeria

Unfair labor (Unfair labor)

"Na monkey dey work, baboon dey chop situation (It's an unfair labor situation)"

Monkey work, baboon draw 🇱🇷 Liberia

A saying: 'Monkey works and baboon draws (gets the reward)', meaning one person does the work and another benefits. Used in complaints about unfairness.

"I do all the project and he take credit – monkey work, baboon draw."

🇳🇬 About Nigeria Slang

Nigeria has one of Africa's richest street-language traditions, blending Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and Pidgin English into a constantly evolving slang vocabulary used by over 220 million people.

KASINARY has 1854 Nigeria slang words collected from native speakers.

Browse all Nigeria slang (1854 words)