Brewer's: Quidnunkis

Monkey politicians. Gay has a fable called The Quidnunkis, to show that the death not even of the duke regent will cause any real gap in nature. A monkey who had ventured higher than his neighbours fell from his estate into the river below. For a few seconds the whole tribe stood panicstruck, but as soon as the stream carried off Master Pug, the monkeys went on with their gambols as if nothing had occurred.

Ah, sir! you never saw the Ganges; There dwell the nation of Quidnunkis (So Monomotapa calls monkeys).

Gay: Tales.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Related Content