It was not until enterprising sea captains imported exotic animals to sell to traveling showmen that words such as lion or polar bear had much meaning to Americans. In 1789 the first large collection of exotic wild animals was put on permanent exhibit in New York. By the 1830s, most circuses had a collection of animals that generally included elephants, camels, lions, tigers, kangaroos, and apes. These animal shows served as traveling zoos where many Americans saw their first exotic animal. The creatures made such an impression that American English began to acquire new phrases.
To monkey around and monkey business are expressions of the early 1800s, and to make a monkey out of someone is from 1899, all being terms based on the increasing number of monkeys seen in circuses and zoos. A large or uncouth man was called a big ape by 1831, and gorilla was used to mean a hairy, tough man by the 1860s and a thug by 1926.