Nintendo says, “It’s on like Donkey Kong”

By Stephany Nunneley

Or it will be, if it gets the phrase trademarked.

Not content owning phrases like “It’s a-me, Mario” and “Wii would like to play”, Nintendo’s applied for a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office so it will also own the phrase:
“It’s on like Donkey Kong.”

While used in movies and in various clubs to male pals when one is about to try and score with a hottie, according to the Urban Dictionary, the most legitimate origin story for the phrase goes something like this:

The use of the comical video game character Donkey Kong provides comic relief but the phrase itself has greater or more significance than simply its on. Many people incorrectly assume the phrase’s origins are from various movies in which it is used but the term was popularized by rapper Ice Cube when he used the phrase in the song “Now I gotta Wet’cha” off his Predator album in 1992. It is unknown at this time whether Ice Cube was the person that originally coined the phrase.

Nintendo also filed an application to trademark the Pokemon phrase, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” not long ago as well.

We still prefer “Now You’re Playing with Power”, but that’s just because we’re old and stuff.

Thanks, Gamespot.