"monkey in the middle" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "monkeys in the middle",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "monkeys in the middle"
      },
      "expansion": "monkey in the middle (countable and uncountable, plural monkeys in the middle)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Children's games",
          "orig": "en:Children's games",
          "parents": [
            "Games",
            "Recreation",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A children's game in which two players keep an object away from a third player (who is in between them) by throwing it past that player."
      ],
      "id": "en-monkey_in_the_middle-en-noun-4hQ~S2PO",
      "links": [
        [
          "children's",
          "children"
        ],
        [
          "game",
          "game"
        ],
        [
          "keep",
          "keep"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "children's games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(children's games, uncountable) A children's game in which two players keep an object away from a third player (who is in between them) by throwing it past that player."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A middleman, particularly in a difficult spot or situation."
      ],
      "id": "en-monkey_in_the_middle-en-noun-Bkg2rIF5",
      "links": [
        [
          "middleman",
          "middleman"
        ],
        [
          "difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "spot",
          "spot"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension, countable) A middleman, particularly in a difficult spot or situation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "52 48",
      "tags": [
        "British"
      ],
      "word": "pig in the middle"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "52 48",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "keep-away"
    }
  ],
  "word": "monkey in the middle"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "monkeys in the middle",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "monkeys in the middle"
      },
      "expansion": "monkey in the middle (countable and uncountable, plural monkeys in the middle)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "en:Children's games"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A children's game in which two players keep an object away from a third player (who is in between them) by throwing it past that player."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "children's",
          "children"
        ],
        [
          "game",
          "game"
        ],
        [
          "keep",
          "keep"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "children's games",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(children's games, uncountable) A children's game in which two players keep an object away from a third player (who is in between them) by throwing it past that player."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A middleman, particularly in a difficult spot or situation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "middleman",
          "middleman"
        ],
        [
          "difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "spot",
          "spot"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension, countable) A middleman, particularly in a difficult spot or situation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "British"
      ],
      "word": "pig in the middle"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "keep-away"
    }
  ],
  "word": "monkey in the middle"
}