monkey jugs

monkey jugs pronunciation

/MUNK-ee jugz/

Meaning

A monkey jug is an old Southern pottery water carrier: round body, a stirrup handle over the top, and a spout angled so you can tip it and drink without dunking your whole face. Folks used them in the field, on the porch, and anywhere cool water needed to travel. Some were plain alkaline-glazed stoneware from mountain and Piedmont shops; others got face decorations. Either way, they are working jugs, not parlor china.

How folks use it

• “Fetch that monkey jug off the porch before we head to the field.”
• “Granddaddy's monkey jug still holds water if you don't tip it too hard.”

Origin and etymology

Southern potters in places like Edgefield, South Carolina, and western North Carolina made these forms through the 1800s and later. Pottery writers describe the classic shape as ovoid with a stirrup handle and a canted spout, plus a second opening for air so the water pours clean. The name monkey may come from older Afro-Caribbean talk where monkey meant thirst, though that trail is debated. Harvest jug is a cousin name for similar vessels.

Frequently asked questions