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monkey on one's back

monkey on one's back {n. phr.}, {informal}

An unsolved or nagging problem.

"My math course is a real monkey on my back," Jack complained.

Compare: ALBATROSS AROUND ONE'S NECK, MILLSTONE AROUND ONE'S NECK.

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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms

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albatross around one's neck

[albatross around one's neck] {n. phr.}, {literary} Guilt, the haunting past, an unforgettable problem. * /Even though it was an accident, John's father's death has been an albatross around John's […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

millstone around one's neck

[millstone around one's neck] {n. phr.} An intolerable burden. * /Max said that his old car was a millstone around his neck./ Compare: [MONKEY ON ONE'S BACK]. A Dictionary of American Idioms

grease monkey

[grease monkey] {n.}, {slang} 1. A person who greases or works on machinery; a mechanic or worker in a garage or gasoline station. * /Hey, grease monkey, fill up my […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

monkey business

[monkey business] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Any unethical, illegitimate, or objectionable activity that is furtive or deceitful, e.g., undercover sexual advances, cheating, misuse of public funds, etc. * /There is […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

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an expression "whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements… or from the general grammatical rules of a language"

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