softly, softly, catchee monkey

alternative softly, softly caught the monkey · alternative softly, softly catch a monkey

1. Proceed cautiously or gently to achieve an objective.

   It is a West Coast proverb, which says, “Softly, softly, catchee monkey."

   1896 March, Robert Baden-Powell, “The Native Levy in the Ashanti Expedition, 1895-96”, in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, volume 40, London: J. J. Keliher & Co., page 305

   3 more examples

   "Prudens qui patiens," was the motto of our great Coke : a motto which the negro pithily paraphrases — "Softly, softly, catch monkey."

   1840, Archer Polson, James Grant, Law and Lawyers; or, Sketches and Illustrations of Legal History and Biography, London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans, →OCLC

   the really important part of Scouting is to become good Scouts — "wise old birds," in fact. "Softly, softly, catchee monkey!" Not by making a row, but by cunning and kindness

   1920, John Hargrave, The Wigwam Papers and Totem Talks, London: C. Arthur Pearson, →OCLC, page 33

   Having failed to secure a Press Council of the sort they wanted, they are now trying, in a small way, to get something established — on the old principle of ‘Softly, softly, catchee monkey.’

   1950, “Conference Conundrums”, in The Journal – Institute of Journalists, volume 38, page 148

2. Capture a target without startling it and causing it to run away.

   Softly, softly, catchee monkey, I thought to myself....slow and sure was the way with a woman like this.

   2013 March 31, Gina Hoisington, “The Logic of My Anger: A Sociopath's Tale of Vengeance”, in BDSM Library, archived from the original on 23 Sep 2017