Literal translation
the higher the she-monkey climbs, the more she shows her tail
Meaning
the higher the monkey climbs, the more it shows its tail
Explanation
The saying observes, in the attitude of a she-monkey climbing from branch to branch, a flaw she cannot hide: as she rises, she exposes her tail more and more to view, precisely the part she would try to conceal if she were aware of it. Applied to people, the image warns that social rise, promotion, or success bring a person's faults and weaknesses into the light far more than they conceal them, exposure growing with the position attained. The proverb echoes the French idea that the higher one climbs, the harder one falls, but its own image, that of the exposed tail, emphasizes ridicule over the danger of falling. The word mounino means she-monkey or, by extension, a whim, while co means tail but also, per the dictionary, confusion or a sheepish look, which adds a further note of embarrassment to the saying. The register is popular, often used to comment slyly on someone's social rise revealing flaws as they climb.