Man up!

[joko104]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Tough it up - be tough. . . even if you're not 'always' like that.

 

[Medusa]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

being a woman is not favorable thing.and many women are supposed to act like men ..

boys show their little thing but girls cant..

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Eh - it holds little gender-bias for me. . . I'm a man.

Yep - I've got balls when I need them and I can be a dick, too

 

[MaggieD]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

We say, "Oh, for God's sake. Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it!!"

 

[Aunt Spiker]

We say, "Oh, for God's sake. Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it!!"

LOL - yes, that too! I was on a forum a long time ago where we could 'gift' big-girl panties to people (somewhat like the 'like' system we have here)

"Deal with it, woman" is another

 

[Chelsea]

It means take care of your responsibilities. Or be a responsible person.

 

[TheGirlNextDoor]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

No, we normally say (to each other) "Put on your big girl panties and deal with it!"

As far as "man up" and the others... to me it simply means - deal with it... step up to the plate and handle things.

 

[Politicaladdict]

Do the right thing....Just do it.......find the strength.....get it done.....

it may be a bit sexist but I like the meaning behind it....and Im a woman.

 

[Crosscheck]

Eh - it holds little gender-bias for me. . . I'm a man.

Yep - I've got balls when I need them and I can be a dick, too

Why is a dick a jerk and a ***** is a wimp?

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Why is a dick a jerk and a ***** is a wimp?

Dick is actually traditional British - dating back to the 1500's when it was used as a term for a 'fellow, man' - and it's slowly changed over time, become more harsh towards males. . . and only in some countries is the term 'dick' used as slang for penis (the US being one) - or a rude person (also US). . . through the blending of other language and their like-sounding words we get definitions of 'nothing' and 'to cheat' as well.

Same thing with ***** - it had a non-gender usage, first (cat). . .then was a term for women in general (not derogatory) and slowly took on a different meaning over time as other words with different meaning that sounded the same were adopted into English but also has other meanings that are unrelated to it's slang or derogatory usage such as a *****-willow in which it means a 'soft tip'

I found it interesting to learn that there aren't many languages in which changing word-usage and even inventing new words and new mixes of words through metaphors and similes is acceptable - or remotely encouraged. In English - it's the way we do things. People make a good living off of being able to play with words. Most cultures, though, discourage it and even find it offensive to do so - tradition is relied on to enable smooth communication.

I agree with that view - English is convoluted and sometimes downright crazy. But I love it because it permits so much fun and grammar rule breakaging

 

[justabubba]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

hike up your skirt and play ball

don't be an embarrassment to your gender
man up

 

[Aunt Spiker]

don't be an embarrassment to your gender
man up

quit ***** footing around and get in there - get the **** done!

See - in this sense the old term 'cat' makes sense . . . cats prance and trawl around when they walk and are indecisive (like when they're thinking about jumping up but don't know if they will - they're 'frittish' with their movements. Uneasy with indecision - paw up, paw down - little movements until they decide) . . . it makes perfect sense that if you're *****-footing around you're physically agitated with indecision and just need to get a hold of yourself and move forward somehow.

It's not a gender reference but I think people assume it is.

 

[lizzie]

It just means toughen up and get a grip. Men tend to react a little more rationally than women for the most part, and it's natural as a result of our hormonal make-up.

 

[RamFel]

"Man up!" "Be a man!" Hear it all the time on TV.

What exactly does that mean? I never hear "be a woman! woman up!"

I think it means to stand up and handle a difficult or unpleasant situation.