There are certain times in our lives when “It’s On.”  These are crucial moments, and should be treated as such.  Other times, however, are even more intense, and can’t adequately be described by the phrase “It’s On.”  These special times require a modifier to fully express the gravity and significance of the situation.  For years, the modifier of choice compared scenarios to a famed video game gorilla, but unless people want to pay royalties, they’ll need to change the way they express just how “On” “It” is; Nintendo has trademarked the phrase “It’s On Like Donkey Kong.”

The phrase originated (as far as Urban Dictionary knows) in the Ice Cube song, “Now I Gotta Wet‘Cha,” and has become a popular phrase in the gaming community and beyond.  As a part of their marketing campaign for the upcoming release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Nintendo has filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the saying.

So, if you want to describe the “On-ness” of “It” without incurring massive royalty fees from Nintendo (not really), here’s some alternate options;

It’s on like Warren Spahn

It’s on like Vince Vaughn

It’s on like mowing the lawn

It's on like a Monkey Bong

It’s on like the classic 1992 Kurt Russel film, Captain Ron

It’s on like Donkey Kong Jr.