At my Sunday night study group, a short conversation arose as to the meaning and origin of terms such as "man up" or "cowboy up." The general consensus that emerged regarding the meaning of the phrase "man up" was that it served as an exhortation to draw upon some hidden resource of courage when confronted with a pressing danger or obstacle, such as beginning a difficult new job, facing a need to make sacrifices for one's family, or fending off an attack by killer bees. It was also generally agreed that the term "cowboy up" was a redneck version of the term "man up," implying a more Coors-beer-oriented strain of courage, presumably resulting in a display of dominance over some sort of livestock.
Among the members of my study group, there was virtually no knowledge as to the origin of the term "man up" or of its redneck variant. This piqued my feline sense of curiosity, and I commenced to undertake a bit of research on the subject.
According to Professor Nigel Mincemeat of St. Fuzzyknickers College of Ancient Literature and Automotive Maintenance at Oxford, Mississippi, the term "man up" has its roots in the works of the Classical Greeks. The almost forgotten poet Efeminades in his epic poem The Viriliad, wrote of the hero Virilides--wielder of the Lance of Apollo--and of his quest for the Golden Eggs of Zeus. Virilides manages to find the Golden Eggs in a cave, places them in a sack, and tries to abscond with the treasure, but he is confronted by the horrifying monster, Kakogynos, who guards them. Describing the ensuing battle, The Viriliad reads:"...and, manning up,
The phrase has also been found in a little-known 13th Century English manuscript found in the Abbey of St. Conan Comedianus in Co. Limerick, Ireland. It is a text of instruction in the proper technique of killing spiders:
Virilides did grab his sack and thrust forth his mighty lance
to penetrate the throbbing heart of the beast."
"...an werre thar nary a nobbin fer ye runnin, than whar ye goin to lang aboon upon yon stoole, in ye stead of cowardise, ye do mann up fer to aplye yon heele upon beastie fer to grine unto the erthe..."One of the more interesting uses of the phrase was found in a work of somewhat dubious origin. In 1987, one Joey Smits claimed to have been revealed a new faith. The basis of this new faith lay in his discovery of a stack of golden cocktail napkins hidden in a barstool in the Cumorah Tavern in Syracuse, NY. According to Smits, the napkins were of antediluvian origin and written in a language called Reconfigured Sumerian, which he was able to translate with the aid of a sacred Sumerian shot glass which he called "The Wallbanger." One of the fruits of Smits' "translation" efforts was The Book of Nehi, from the second chapter of which came the following verses:
17. And it came to pass that Nehi was joined unto Pepsi, the daughter of Pibb, and was bound through an oath of honor to marry her.In summation, as can be seen from the following examples, the term "man up" may quite possibly be much older than any of us can imagine. So the next time one of your buddies is whining about how he feels unfulfilled in his career, hated by his own children, and rejected by his wife, stand proudly with countless generations of mighty warriors before you and tell him to "man up" and shut up! Only by pushing all those troublesome thoughts down into some deep dark place we can all hope to stand triumphant as men!
18. And lo, Nehi did look upon her and found her visage to be exceeding loathsome and a vile sight.
19. But behold, the LORD was with Nehi.
20. And verily did Nehi man up and lo, he did know his wife, yea, numerous times. And verily was he blessed with many sons, bearing semblance to their mother in no wise.
