Powder Monkey
Young boys used to tag along with sailors who were heading off to war, back when sailing was a common occupation. Those young boys were called powder monkeys. It’s believed that “monkey” came from the phrase “monkeying around”, but there is no concrete evidence to back this claim.
These boys were tasked with transporting bags full of gunpowder from one place to another, as well as filling up the ship’s cannons with the powder to help the sailors prepare for war.