What is a Monkey in Betting?

A monkey is a UK slang term for £500. It is often used by bettors to refer to the amount of money they are betting or winning on a particular event. For example, if a bettor says “I’m putting a monkey on Team A to win”, it means that he is betting £500 on Team A to win. If he says “I’ve won a monkey on Team B to lose”, it means that he has won £500 by betting against Team B.

A monkey can also be used as a unit of measurement to compare the size of different bets or winnings. For example, if a bettor says “I’ve won two monkeys on this game”, it means that he has won £1000 in total. If he says “I’ve lost half a monkey on that game”, it means that he has lost £250 in total.

The Origin of Monkey

The origin of the term monkey is not clear, but there are several theories and stories that attempt to explain it. Some of them are:

• The term monkey comes from the 19th century, when British soldiers in India used the 500 rupee note as a form of currency. The note had a picture of a monkey on it, so the soldiers called it a monkey and used it as slang for 500 rupees. When they returned to Britain, they continued to use the term for 500 pounds.
• The term monkey comes from the Cockney rhyming slang, which is a form of slang that replaces words with phrases that rhyme with them. For example, stairs are called apples and pears, phone is called dog and bone, and wife is called trouble and strife. According to this theory, 500 pounds are called monkey nuts, which rhymes with nuts (meaning nothing). Over time, the term was shortened to just monkey.
• The term monkey comes from the card game baccarat, which is a popular game among high rollers and gamblers. In baccarat, the cards with the value of 10, jack, queen, and king are called monkeys, because they have zero value in the game. According to this theory, 500 pounds are called monkeys because they are the smallest denomination of notes used in the game.

The Usage of Monkey

The term monkey is mainly used by bettors in the UK, especially in horse racing and soccer betting. It is also used by bookmakers and tipsters to indicate the amount of money they are offering or recommending for a bet. For example, if a bookmaker says “We’re giving you a monkey for Team A to win”, it means that he is offering £500 for Team A to win. If a tipster says “This is a monkey bet for Team B to lose”, it means that he is suggesting £500 as the stake for Team B to lose.

The term monkey is also used by other people in the UK who deal with large sums of money, such as bankers, traders, or businessmen. It is often used as a casual or humorous way to express the value or cost of something. For example, if someone says “This car cost me two monkeys”, it means that he paid £1000 for the car. If someone says “This watch is worth half a monkey”, it means that he values the watch at £250.

To Sum Up

A monkey is a UK slang term for £500. It is often used by bettors to refer to the amount of money they are betting or winning on a particular event. It can also be used as a unit of measurement to compare the size of different bets or winnings. The origin of the term monkey is not clear, but there are several theories and stories that attempt to explain it. Some of them relate it to the 500 rupee note in India, the Cockney rhyming slang in London, or the card game baccarat. The usage of the term monkey is mainly limited to the UK, especially in horse racing and soccer betting. It is also used by other people who deal with large sums of money, such as bankers, traders, or businessmen.