"man up"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Grant Barrett has done Double-Tongued entries for both "nut up" and "sack up".

http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/nut_up/
http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/sack_up/

--Ben Zimmer

On 12/2/06, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Not very long ago, I heard "nut up" used by a female character in the
> same manner as "man up," on some random sitcom.
>
> On 12/2/06, Gordon, Matthew J. <GordonMJ at missouri.edu> wrote:
> >
> > The "man up" usage mentioned by Jonathan Ligher is apparently part of a =
> > productive pattern. I seem to remember a discussion here some years back =
> > about "cowboy up." More surprising to me are examples like:
> >
> > ballsy up:  "...sooner or later Brit cops are going to ballsy up and sue =
> > or threaten strike for side arms..."
> > http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3D56295
> >
> > gutsy up: "Start off with some raw oysters (they don't steam 'em here, =
> > so gutsy up)."
> > http://primary.lodging.com/auto/article-affiliates.cgi?name=3DA+Guided+To=
> > ur+of+Key+West&remote=3Dcarston
> >
> > These surprised me b/c they involve derived adjectives which I find =
> > harder to make into verbs.
> >
> > BTW, I came across these in looking for examples of "gutsy up" as an =
> > eggcorn for "gussy up". I found at least one clear example of this:
> > "been running around all day and taking care of some cleaning and =
> > laundry! going to get all gutsy up for later tonight"
> > http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Duser.viewprofile&friend=
> > id=3D26632887
> >
> > -Matt Gordon
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Jonathan Lighter
> > Sent: Sat 12/2/2006 8:09 AM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject:      WUXTRA ! WUXTRA!: "hike down," "man up"
> > =20
> > Fox's Alisyn Camerata on the Britney photos (there are at least two of =
> > them): "She doesn't appear to be trying to hike her skirt down."
> >
> >   Fox's Kelly Wright, upbraiding notably inarticulate photographer Edwin =
> > Merino for his "lack of responsibility in releasing these photos" which =
> > could encourage going commando by the bimbo masses: "But come on, man =
> > up, where's the responsibility here? Didn't you think that [etc., =
> > etc.]?"
> >
> >   UrbanDictionary.com has "man up" back to 2002. It's hard to search =
> > for.
> >
> >   Observers noted that the BRITNEY COMMANDO! caption was unaccompanied =
> > by glossarial interpretation.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org