softly, softly caught the monkey

A form of softly — In a soft manner; gently.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. alternativeAlternative form of softly, softly, catchee monkey.

    "La pointe de l'aiguille doit passer la première;" [...] I should rather explain this by our kindred expression, "introduce the sharp edge of the wedge first;" or, as the West Africans say, "Softly! Softly caught the monkey."

    1865, Richard Francis Burton, Wit and Wisdom from West Africa, London: Tinsley Brothers, →OCLC, page xiii
Cite this entry
APA

softly, softly caught the monkey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%2C%20softly%20caught%20the%20monkey

MLA

“softly, softly caught the monkey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%2C%20softly%20caught%20the%20monkey. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “softly, softly caught the monkey,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%2C%20softly%20caught%20the%20monkey.

Source: softly, softly caught the monkey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.