funny business
C1Informal
Definition
Meaning
Suspicious, dishonest, or improper activity.
Any underhanded, deceitful, or questionable dealings; also can refer to playful, harmless trickery in informal contexts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun phrase. The connotation is negative, implying deception or unethical behavior, though it can be softened to describe mischievous but harmless acts (e.g., among children).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both varieties with identical core meaning. 'Funny business' is slightly more common in American English; British English might occasionally use 'monkey business' as a near-synonym.
Connotations
Similar in both: implies slyness, trickery, or things not being above board.
Frequency
High frequency in both, with a slight edge to American English in corpus data.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
There is/was [no/some] funny business.to suspect/spot/investigate funny businessto be up to/engaged in funny businessVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No funny business!”
- “to be up to funny business”
- “I want no funny business.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to suspected accounting fraud or unethical corporate practices.
Academic
Rare; if used, in informal discussion of research ethics or data manipulation.
Everyday
Common: parents warning children, or people suspecting they're being cheated in a deal.
Technical
Not used in technical registers.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A as a verb. Used only as a noun phrase.
American English
- N/A as a verb. Used only as a noun phrase.
adverb
British English
- N/A as an adverb.
American English
- N/A as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- N/A as an adjective.
American English
- N/A as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher said, 'No funny business during the test!'
- I think there's some funny business with the bill; the total seems too high.
- The investigation uncovered considerable funny business in the tender process.
- Allegations of financial funny business have plagued the administration, prompting a full audit.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a 'business' where the employees are clowns ('funny'). Instead of working, they're secretly playing tricks and hiding things—that's 'funny business'.
Conceptual Metaphor
DECEPTION IS A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE / ILLEGITIMATE ACTIVITY IS A COMEDY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as 'смешной бизнес', which would mean 'humorous enterprise'. Use 'нечестная игра', 'мошенничество', 'темные делишки', or 'проделки' depending on context.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as an adjective (*'He is a funny business guy'). Treating 'funny' literally (*'The clown's performance was funny business').
Practice
Quiz
In which situation would 'funny business' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily illegal, but it always implies something is dishonest, unethical, or not above board. It can range from minor mischief to serious fraud.
No, it is an informal idiom. In formal contexts, use terms like 'misconduct', 'impropriety', or 'fraud'.
They are largely synonymous. 'Monkey business' can sometimes imply more silly, mischievous behavior, while 'funny business' often leans slightly more toward deceit. The difference is subtle.
No. Here, 'funny' means 'suspicious', 'odd', or 'questionable'. It comes from an older sense of 'funny' meaning 'difficult to explain or understand'.
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