funny business

noun Informal.
improper or unethical conduct, as deception or trickery: He won't stand for any funny business here.

Origin:
1880–85, Americanism

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To funny business
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Main Entry:  funny business1
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  deceptive, underhanded behavior
00:10
Funny business is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Main Entry:  funny business2
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  foolish behavior; shenanigans
Main Entry:  funny business3
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  amorous behavior; sexual intercourse
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2013 Dictionary.com, LLC
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

monkey business definition


and funny business
  1. n.
    silliness; dishonest tricks. : That's enough monkey business. Now, settle down. , Stop the funny business and get to work!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

funny business

Deceit, treachery, unethical conduct. For example, We suspect their outfit has been up to some funny business. [Colloquial; c. 1880]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The art of comedy is, literally and figuratively, a funny business.
Still, there seems to have been some funny business.
He put lawyers, jurors and the media on notice from the start that there would
  be no funny business.
It's certainly a funny business, this failure to find him.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT