What does "man up" really mean?

[Krypton]

I've heard the expression a lot recently. Is it some sort of reference to getting men back into being hairy Caveman types with lots of grunting and throwing their weight about?

Are all males now suddenly "too girly" or something? Really ... "Man UP!" - I'm already a man.

I may be a sensitive man, a less-shouty-than-other-blokes man, an understanding man, a long-tempered and slow to kick off man, a loving man, an appreciator of beautiful things man, a sometimes crying man, but I am ... essentially (and biologically) ... a man.

 

[Melvil]

I believe it is the modern equivalent of 'pull yourself together'

or in times past the administration of a strong brandy and smelling salts.

 

[XmisterIS]

This thread reminds me of a number of expressions that people glibly use without stopping to consider what they actually mean. I reckon they use them and they don't know what they mean themselves!

Here are some examples that really puzzle me and I do enjoy asking people, "what exactly do you mean when you say <insert stock phrase here>?":

"You need to pull your socks up!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions proceed through life as a mindless drone who unquestioningly obeys authority).
"Pull yourself together!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions and proceed through life in a neurotically pseudo-happy kind of way).
"Man up!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions and proceed through life as a beer-swilling, insensitive, misogynistic lout).
"Get with the program!" (translation - see "you need to pull your socks up!)
"Will you at least try to be happy?" (translation - see "Pull yourself together!")

And the very worst ones (the ones that really make me cringe and inwardly say, "ouch!") are those negative commands uttered by parents who say things like, "don't touch that!", and then they are genuinely angry when the kid fiddles with whatever-it-is and breaks it! That kind of negative command is a bit like saying, "don't think of a pink elephant!" What is the first thing that pops into your head? ...

 

[Black Sheep]

That kind of negative command is a bit like saying, "don't think of a pink elephant!" What is the first thing that pops into your head? ...

surprisingly, a yellow badger that is the pink elephant's partner.

I've always taken ''man up'' to be 'stop complaining, we can't do anything about that now so you'll have to cope'

about a deccade ago I was at the upper age of scouts and was a patrol leader, my patrol got used to me jokingly telling them to 'man up' if they weren't doing something as quick as it needed doing or we had a not particulally nice task to do - eg gathering firewood in the rain and someone says they don't want to get wet.

however, they all knew I was saying it tongue in cheek as a 'come on, it's not that bad'

 

[telesonic99]

"You need to pull your socks up!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions proceed through life as a mindless drone who unquestioningly obeys authority).
"Pull yourself together!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions and proceed through life in a neurotically pseudo-happy kind of way).
"Man up!" (translation - suppress all of your emotions and proceed through life as a beer-swilling, insensitive, misogynistic lout).
"Get with the program!" (translation - see "you need to pull your socks up!)
"Will you at least try to be happy?" (translation - see "Pull yourself together!")

Do you get these a lot? Just asking.

 

[Fnaar]

Doctor, Doctor, I keep thinking I'm a set of curtains.
Pull yourself together man!

 

[Crackle]

It is a phrase I do not like. It's either meaningless because it's trotted out without thought by someone or when spoken with vindication, it usually means, be like me, to which I normally pass on as I'm already at a more advanced state of evolution than anyone who would say it with meaning.

 

[XmisterIS]

Do you get these a lot? Just asking.

Not anymore, but when I was a grumpy teenager ... all the time!!

 

[rich p]

I think it means something else entirely down here in cosmopolitan Brighton.

 

[telesonic99]

I'm probably the toughest bloke I know and am often asked to man-down (behave rich).

 

[dellzeqq]

real men have Man Caves. http://www.diynetwork.com/man-caves/show/index.html

that floppy haired fop from Top Gear is fronting a similar programme here, but he made a right horlicks of a concrete worktop.

 

[theclaud]

I'm probably the toughest bloke I know and am often asked to man-down (behave rich).

A futile exhortation, I fear....

 

[theclaud]

real men have Man Caves. http://www.diynetwor...show/index.html

Patrick has a gimp cupboard - does that count?

 

[biggs682]

i told my stepson (15 yrs) to man up and try a cheese and beetroot sandwich , he just laughed and said no

 

[TVC]

real men have Man Caves. http://www.diynetwor...show/index.html

that floppy haired fop from Top Gear is fronting a similar programme here, but he made a right horlicks of a concrete worktop.

Made a right horlicks of the whole program.

"Suck it up, man" is another one I hate, which basically means "I'm behaving like an Ahole to you, and I know I am, so stop complaining because I don't give a toss".