"man up"

[miniwedge]

how about we change that phrAse to "time to be assertive", and even better, change the assumption that being male makes you better equipped to be assertive?

Just a thought. Have seen the phrase used a lot recently and it is becoming irritating.

I consider myself to be far more assertive than many of my male colleagues!

Exactly. Why does being assertive need to be related to gender?

Probably because idiots think that women should me meek and mild....

it's the breasts, they get in the way of rational thought......

I deteste this phrase, along with "grow a pair" and any other similar rhetoric.

@K999

detest

I prefer 'Remember you are a vertebrate.'

a lesbian friend was told to 'butch up' by another lesbian. I don't know if that is an acceptable alternative (cos after all butches are female) or just as bad...

I thought the phrase was on its way out. I haven't heard it recently but used to a lot 2+ years ago.

Agree about 'grow a pair', though, that is so offensive.

I like the phrase 'man up' but only when said to a woman.

I usually tell my women friends to "woman up" and they go "Payne the phrase is man up"

Man up is used lots on here as is grow a pair.

Suck it princess??

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter; where your backbone ought to be."
1920s feminist - Clementine Paddleford
I love this quote!

.....must admit i did once tell a friend to 'think like a man' when it came to her hobby - she had all but discarded it for her family and friends while her Dh still had his interests to fall back on of an evening / weekend....and while it's not ideal - i couldn't tihnk of a better way of telling her that her interests where just as valid a passtime. After all - we all know of marriages where the man continues his prenuptial hobbies and the woman forgoes hers totally.

I've tried to swap "guts" or "intestinal fortitude" for "balls" or "ballsy" (both used a bit over here in the USA.)

I love "spine" and "backbone" though - very no-nonsensey, very equal-opportunities tough-but-not-aggressive. :)

I try to avoid "man up" and deffo not "grow a pair" or "you've got balls" type comments - beautifully put sAf btw - it totally reinforces the idea that men are or should be tough and dominant. Remember "if we stand up for our rights we're aggressive and 'unfeminine' and if we don't" (and presumably if women don't 'grow a pair') "we're typical weak females".

Like Prolesworth's ovaries. And Goblin's vertebrate. All this 'man up' grow a pair' is just (literally) bollocks

This phrase really annoys me. I work with someone who is in the navy reserves and she said it all the time until a male colleague who had heard me ranting about it pulled her up on it not long ago. I had a warm feeling inside when he did that!

He also emailed to say that I would be proud of him because the other day he had changed "unmanned" in a report to "unstaffed". Some of what I said in the 6 months he sat by me has sunk in!

It's amazing how much language just ignores women. When we talk of an England team it usually refers to the men's football or cricket team, for example.

My experience of people saying this has generally been overgrown school boys in a male-dominated environment. And that sums up their attitude to life in general. Single-handedly belittling the person they are speaking to and women in general. Lovely.