That’s a load off my back

On the PBS Newshour, Cincinnati State was being highlighted for its accelerated two year program. Participants receive stipends to help with getting to school, etc. One participant, Blessing Henderson, said that the program really helped relieve a lot of stress and allowed her to complete her degree more quickly. She said of the assistance, “that’s a load off my back”. This is a congruent conflation of “load off (one’s) mind” and “monkey off (one’s) back”, both meaning to end a persistent problem or burden. A big thank you to Elaine Hatfield for hearing this one and letting me know!