Combing monkey is a popular expression in the Portuguese language, used in Brazil, normally included in the phrase "Vai combing monkey!" and which means "go take care of your life", "don't bother", "get out of it", "stop fussing", "go see if I'm in the corner".
The expression "go comb monkey" is used to turn away someone who is being annoying or inconvenient: "What are you still doing here? Go comb monkey!"
monkey comb - origin
The origin of the expression "monkey combing" has several different versions. The most plausible one points out that this expression derived from the Portuguese proverb "regardless of whoever ass combs", which appeared for the first time in Portugal, in the year 1651. At that time, brushing or combing pack animals (donkeys and donkeys, for example) was bad work. seen, taking into account that these animals did not need to be in a good presentation to fulfill their occupation. As the Portuguese until the middle of the 17th century did not know the word "monkey", they used the term "howler" to identify this animal, and from there came the expression "vai bugiar", which is an expression equivalent to "vai combate monkey", and is used until today in Portugal and some parts of Brazil.
Another of the several versions indicated indicates that the expression "pentar monkey" appeared in the time of slavery and it meant a punishment for the slaves, who had to bathe each other and then untangle their hair.
Monkey combing - Galvão
Carlos Eduardo dos Santos Galvão Bueno, better known as Galvão Bueno, is a Brazilian narrator, radio broadcaster and sports presenter who works for Rede Globo. He gained notoriety for narrating important moments in national sport, such as winning the fourth and fifth world championships by the Brazilian soccer team.
The 2010 World Cup was broadcast in Brazil by Rede Globo and presented by Galvão Bueno and Fátima Bernardes. At the opening ceremony of the event, the expression "Cala a boca Galvão" began to proliferate quickly on Twitter, thanks to netizens who were not satisfied with the announcer's comments. The phrase even entered the list of topics most commented on by Brazilians on Twitter, and began to be used as a joke and a form of protest against Galvão Bueno. The joke reached such magnitude that some variants emerged, one of which is "Galvão, vai combing monkey".
The impact of these expressions was so great that renowned newspapers such as the country and The New York Times they published articles that mentioned and explained the joke.