Frazz by Jef Mallett for June 30, 2012

Not dodge ball…that’s where the object it to hit someone with the ball.. the object of Monkey in the Middle is to keep the ball away from one person…the “Monkey in the Middle”….

It’s damn good practice, too. Whenever you’re willing to really ‘bring up’ your game…in any field I know…business, music, military, sports…get your OWN game down pat and you can form a team…

Also known as “pickle in the middle”. If the one in the middle catches the ball, the one who tossed it goes in the middle.

I don’t know when the game was named “monkey in the middle”, but in my day it was simply called “keep away.”

Now that you are saying it’s “keep away,” I know what game it is.

Oh. I was wondering what “the middle solo” was and how you would play “monkey” in it.

I guess I grew up in the same culture as Jeff Mallett – I know what Monkey in the Middle is (we even had a chant – Monkey in the middle, one two three…). This is a wonderful case of a boy making lemonade when life gives him lemons.

We just called it “Keep away”