man, noun2

/man/
Plurals:
manne /ˈmanə/, occasionally mannes /ˈmanəs/.
Origin:
Afrikaans
slang
Note:
The word occurs in both the singular and plural forms in spoken South African English; the singular has not been found in written contexts, as the distinction between /mæn/ and /man/ is not apparent in writing.
1. As a term of reference.
a. Usually in the plural : ‘Real men’, ‘man’s men’, ‘macho men’: men who are ostentatiously virile or manly; men who are engaged in, or excel in, activities considered to be typically masculine. See also main man, rugger-bugger.
1963 B. Modisane Blame Me on Hist. (1986) 51‘O Broad-derick is de manne,’ one of them said, imitating the bubbling speech of the actor. ‘Did you hear him when he said: “I’m the fastest gun there is.”..?’
1972 Drum 8 Aug. 20He was one of the real manne when young. And what the real manne usually do is spin around town. Be seen around the city often.
1975 J. Davids in New Classic No.1, 41Rollicking full of life, you met all the manne, everywhere.
1981 Frontline May 15The various sides of our culture..of which the down-and-out meths drinker is as much a part as the manne in the Royal Hotel kroeg.
1985 D. Lautenbach in Argus 28 Sept.On the veld under a Boland Saturday afternoon sky, the manne from Meerlust meet the manne from Mooiplaas.
1987 Weekly Mail 12 June 31While rugby’s manne get in some practice..there are two potentially close contests to sort out the boys from the bigger boys.
1990 C. Leonard in Weekly Mail 2 Nov. 28The manne compete to produce the highest number of decibels from their music systems in their Cortinas.
1992 J.S. Silva Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Look at him, how he walks — he thinks he’s a real man.
b. The manne: ‘The boys’, ‘the guys’, men with whom one shares a sense of camaraderie; the (important) men of a community (especially an Afrikaans-speaking community). See also main man.
1979 A. Harrison in Frontline Dec. 17I never get lonely. In a city lift I can give the manne a ‘hora hora hoozeet’ and I’m assured of a good conversation.
1985 T. Baron in Frontline Feb. 30Pofadder..where the manne were recklessly ordering dam to go with their dop because it had rained the day before, the first rain in seven years.
1989 Weekly Mail 15 Dec. 7‘I don’t wake my wife when I get up at four in the morning..just give her a kiss..’ he says. ‘Then I go out and join the other manne on the way to the harbour.’
1990 B. Cohen in Weekly Mail 22 June (Suppl.) 7The photograph is innocent, stoned amateurish, a happy snap of the manne taken with a self-timer.
1990 T. Van der Walt in Sunday Times 21 Oct. 11War veterans and colonial types with bushy moustaches rubbed shoulders and shared jokes with the bearded manne from the platteland.
1990 Sunday Times 21 Oct. (Mag. Sect.) 38Des Park, president of the SACF, collected the top canoeing manne for a brainstorm..and programme of safety exercises.
1991 K. Lemmer in Weekly Mail 15 Feb. 17These guys from the Organisation for African Unity come to Cape Town this week, meet with the manne that matter, and then say they aren’t here because of anything to do with politics.
1993 Sunday Times 31 Oct. 31There’s nothing shy about the manne up here...Government of the Volk, by the Volk, for the Volk..is the only democracy you can safely mention in these parts.
2. As a form of address, always in the plural : ‘Men’, ‘guys’; used (by a man) to address a group of men, usually indicating or inviting a sense of male camaraderie.
1974 C. Hope on Radio South Africa 7 Sept.OK manne, let’s push now.
1982 V. Khumalo in Pace May 158Ek sê, mannes, how’s yu’wol? Hoezit chana, hoe’s ou Pedro daar?
1983 G. Silber in Sunday Times 28 Aug. (Mag. Sect.) 18Al says: ‘Listen, you manne, I don’t want to be a spoilsport. But please, no dancing on the grass. It’s the Sunday law, okay?’
1985 D. Bauer in Frontline Dec. 6Okay manne, today I’m going to learn you about riot control.
Usually in the plural :‘Real men’, ‘man’s men’, ‘macho men’: men who are ostentatiously virile or manly; men who are engaged in, or excel in, activities considered to be typically masculine.
The manne:‘The boys’, ‘the guys’, men with whom one shares a sense of camaraderie; the (important) men of a community (especially an Afrikaans-speaking community).
As a form of address, always in the plural : ‘Men’, ‘guys’; used (by a man) to address a group of men, usually indicating or inviting a sense of male camaraderie.
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