tried googling it but I only got the idiom and not an actual answer

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[–] 12 points 1 day ago (6 children)

In Finnish they are monkey's hands. Because they are hands. Also, I had always assumed that's how it goes in every language. So, in English they are paws?!

What about other languages? Hands or paws or what?

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  • [–] 3 points 18 hours ago

    Yeah, "paw" typically is understood to mean the forefoot of furry animals without hooves or similar. I think most people would say "hand" for a monkey, but language isn't always precise, and the phrase "monkey's paw" (as a magical item) is at least a hundred years old too.

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