the list of 9 for may 30, 2009:
NINE PORTMANTEAUX FOR MEN WHO DO TRADITIONALLY FEMALE THINGS
A few years back, the term "metrosexual" entered the English language. It was what we call aportmanteau, a word that mashes together two different words to form something in between acompound word and a pun. (Brunch, jewfro and infomercial are all portmanteaux.)"Metrosexual" itself referred to a straight man with an interest in girly things like skin care,high fashion and good grooming. Since then, metropolitan heterosexual men everywhere have beenadopting things that were previously considered to be for women only. And the portmanteaux todescribe these changes have blossomed. To wit:
- MANNY. A male nanny.
- BROMANCE. Deep platonic love between two straight guys.Often, male friends involved in a bromance go out on a "mandate," having dinner together asopposed to simply watching the game in a bar. Note: "mandate" as used here isn't technically aportmanteau. The English language is a tricky beast.
- MANSCAPING. Delicately put, this refers to thetraditionally nonmale activity of, um, shaving below the neck.
- BOYZILIAN. A lad who is seriously into manscaping mightjust get himself a Boyzilian, which is a play off of the "Brazilian" type of extreme bikini waxingpopular among (skanky) young women in recent years.
- MANOREXIA. The dark side of male femininity, this describes the condition of the young dudes who starve themselves in order to squeeze into those skinny jeans.
- GUYLINER. A current fad among young men, particularlyurban hipsters and would-be rock stars, is the wearing of mascara. Usually this is done only whencounterbalanced by manly five o'clock shadow.
- HIMBO. Physically attractive but shallow andunintelligent, the himbo knows what to wear and who to sleep with, but not much beyond that.
- MANSTRESS. Sometimes a himbo, occasionally maybe a manny,the manstress is the "bit on the side" for married women (and perhaps also for attached gay men).
- MANTIES. This last word was coined by my wife, andalthough it hasn't yet entered the lexicon, it does accurately describe the silky, high-cut bikinibriefs that some gents prefer. I must warn you that after Googling the word, I found a site thatsells what appears to be frilly, lacy girls' underpants meant for grown men. This is notwhat I am talking about.
|