Powder Monkey
At a time when sailing was a common practice, especially during war, powder monkey was a real occupation. The powder monkey was the name given to young boys who joined the sailors on their trips, to help around deck. Specifically, their job was to move and handle the gun powder when necessary – hence their title.
It is believed that the “monkey” part came from monkey business, monkeying around, and so on. This was a popular trade during the “Age of Sail” – between the 16th to early 19th century. While the occupation is now obsolete, the term “powder monkey” is still used in some industries around the world, to describe different kinds of menial, industrial jobs.