manning up!

[Ben Zimmer]

On Sat, Sep 4, 2010 at 7:24 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
> Nice "On Language" column from Ben in the Times on the above locution:
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/magazine/05FOB-onlanguage-t.html
[snip]
>
> But it might be worth noting that the occurrence in football contexts
> like the one Ben cites from the Texas high school coach, ""We're
> expecting them to use an eight-man front with their secondary manning
> up on us", is used specifically to contrast that option of going
> man-to-man with the alternative possibility of a zone defense, and in
> this sense a similar locution has been used for quite a while in
> basketball contexts. (There are other variants, like a box-and-one,
> but primarily you play the guy (male or female) or you're responsible
> for a sector of the field or court.)
>
> Does anyone know whether the football or basketball usage came first?
> I'd have guessed basketball, but it's only a guess.

I received an email from someone vouching for basketball usage as far
back as 1976, though I wasn't able to find anything in print predating
the football examples I gave. Email is below.

---
As far back as 1976 (and since) from my first foray in coached
basketball, (high-school) we (or the captain, or coach) would say "man
up" as the opposing team approached us on the court to signify that we
were to fall into a "man to man" defense, as opposed to a "zone"
defense.  You could-would alternate defenses many times in a game, the
key to the effectiveness of either style being of course that everyone
on your team KNEW what defensive set you were supposed to be in that
time down the court.  If half the team was in one, and the other in
the other, you'd have a lot of blown defensive assignments.  Hence the
need to clearly state "man up" so as to not give the opposing team a
chance to take advantage of missed assignments during the transition
from offense to defense.
In particularly tense moments, say near the end of the game where a
very aggressive defensive style is needed, "man up" became not only
the way to distinguish the man to man defensive set from a zone, but
also an exhortation to your team mates to get right up close to the
offensive player allowing him no room to maneuver with the ball, thus
limiting his ability to score.  In basketball, the "macho nature" of
the phrase is-was felt as playing "man up" (very tight) D, is a direct
challenge to the ball handler to attempt to go by you.  If he can get
by you, he is "tougher" than you.  If he can't, you are "tougher" than
him.
---


--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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