naked ape

English

Etymology

From naked +‎ ape, reportedly coined by Desmond Morris in his book The Naked Ape (1967).

Noun

naked ape (plural naked apes)

1. (idiomatic, chiefly humorous) A human being.

   Synonym: (chiefly humorous) featherless biped

   • 1969, David H. Stewart, “The Decline of WASP Literature in America”, in College English, volume 30, number 6, page 412:

     What, after all, can a poor naked ape do?

   • 2003, M. Pagel and W. Bodmer, "A Naked Ape Would Have Fewer Parasites," Proceedings: Biological Sciences, Vol. 270, Supplement: Biology Letters, p. S117:

     Humans are unique among the monkeys and apes in lacking a dense layer of hair covering their bodies.

   • 2006 April 3, Greg Levine, “Anheuser, Pepsi CEOs Face New Labor Cost: Chimps”, in forbes.com, retrieved 16 Aug. 2011:

     Anheuser-Busch ads have played up the similarities between ape and naked ape—with the lower primates usually looking better.

Translations

human being — see human being

Further reading

• names for the human species on Wikipedia.Wikipedia