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This page is about the phrase; for other uses of the phrase, see The Man (disambiguation). For the human male, see Man.

"The Man" does not usually refer to a specific individual, but instead to the government, leaders of large corporations, and other authority figures in general, such as the police. The Man is colloquially defined as the figurative person who controls our world. The Man is also often used as a symbol of racial oppression, as well as the boss of a blue-collar worker, and the enemy of any counterculture. The Man is a slang phrase, used to refer to higher athourity from that person. ... Photograph of a nude man by Wilhelm von Gloeden, ca. ... A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name... For other uses, see Oppression (disambiguation). ... A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... Counterculture (also counter-culture) is a sociological word used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day,[1] the cultural equivalent of political opposition. ...

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe perceived oppression, but in modern times it is most often used facetiously in an ironically resigned fashion. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist"; however, this is also used facetiously sometimes.

Calling someone "the man" can also be a form of praise. This may refer to the recipient's status as the leader or authority within a particular context, or it might be assumed to be a shortened form of a phrase like "He is the man (who is in charge)." In more modern usage, it can be a superlative compliment indicating that the subject is currently standing out amongst his peers even though they have no special designation or rank, such as a basketball player who is performing better than the other players on the court. It can also be used as a genuine compliment with an implied, slightly exaggerated or sarcastic tone, usually indicating that the person has indeed impressed the speaker but by doing something relatively trivial. This article is about the sport. ...

The ambiguity of the phrase is highlighted and parodied in a Sprint commercial in which a corporate executive extols the flexibility of his cellular telephone plan to a subordinate, saying "No one can tell me what to do. It's my little way of sticking it to The Man," to which his subordinate replies, "But sir, you are the man." The executive says, "I know," and the subordinate observes, "So, you're sticking it to yourself." "Maybe," the executive answers in confusion. Look up sprint in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

A third and minor meaning of "the Man" is that of a drug dealer. The slang was used in the 1950s and 1960s and can be seen in such places as Curtis Mayfield's "No Thing On Me"; Jonathan Larson's Rent, William Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch, and in the Velvet Underground song "I'm Waiting for the Man", in which Lou Reed sings about going to Uptown Manhattan, specifically Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, to buy heroin. These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US Drug Enforcement Administration In jurisdictions where legislation restricts or prohibits the sale of certain popular drugs, it is common for an illegal drugs trade to develop. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1958 to the end of 1974. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... Jonathan Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American Tony Award-winning composer and playwright who lived in New York City and authored musicals, including Rent and Tick, Tick. ... This article is about the 1996 Broadway rock opera. ... William S. Burroughs. ... Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs. ... The Velvet Underground and Nico (from left to right: John Cale, Nico, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker) The Velvet Underground (Affectionately known as The Velvets, or V.U. for short) was an American rock and roll band of the late 1960s. ... Im Waiting for the Man is a song by the American rock band The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed. ... Lou Reed (born March 2, 1942) is an influential American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Uptown in Manhattan, New York City, refers to the northern part of Manhattan : generally speaking, North of 59th Street. ... For other uses, see Heroin (disambiguation). ...

History

The term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to about 1918, when it was commonly used as a code word for the warden of a prison. According to conservative African-American writer and professor Thomas Sowell, the term "being hassled by the man" was used by poor farmers in the post American Civil War South to refer to the "Bank Man" who would hassle them about the late payment of debts. In the Southern U.S. states, and particularly in African-American slang, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. The phrase was also an underworld code word for police or other law enforcement or penal authorities. On the flip side, it was also a term for a drug dealer. It came eventually to be applied by blacks to whites, especially in the role of oppressors; see for example, Newsweek, August 3, 1964: "It is time to let The Man know that if he does something to us, we are going to do something back." The use of this term was expanded to other counterculture groups and their battles against authority, such as the Yippies, which, according to a May 19, 1969 article in U.S. News and World Report, had the "avowed aim ... to destroy 'The Man', their term for the present system of government". The term eventually found its way into ironic usage, such as in a December 1979 motorcycle ad from the magazine Easyriders which featured the tagline, "California residents: Add 6% sales tax for The Man." 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930), is an American economist, political writer, and commentator. ... For other uses, see Farmer (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation). ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Yippie flag, ca. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... U.S. News & World Report is a weekly newsmagazine. ... A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

The use of the term 'the man' as a form of praise has an older provenance. One example of this usage dates to 1879 when Otto von Bismarck commented, referring to Benjamin Disraeli's actions at the Congress of Berlin, "The old Jew, he is the man." Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Bismarck redirects here. ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ... The Congress of Berlin (June 13 - July 13, 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers and the Ottoman Empires leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. ...

See also

• Leonard Cohen - Legendary songwriter and poet, often referred as 'The Man'.
• Ruling class
• The Establishment
• The West

Leonard Norman Cohen, CC (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A poet (from the ancient Greek ποιητης, poïêtes (artisan) ; ποιέω, poieō) is a person who writes poetry. ... The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that societys political policy. ... For other uses, see Establishment. ... The West is a generic term for western regions for many countries and regions: The Western United States Western Australia Western Canada Canada West The term can also mean: The West Australian, a newspaper The Western world, or Western culture or civilization The West: the phenomenon of westernism, the book...

References

• Lighter, J.E. (Ed.). (1997). Random House Dictionary of American Slang. New York: Random House.
• Sowell, Thomas. (2005). Black Rednecks and White Liberals. Encounter Books.