And I can’t think of ‘mannish’ being used ever. My impression was that female competition tended to be a little more sophisticated than banal locker room banter.
Austin Powers: You must admit she is rather mannish. Really, if that is a woman she must have been beaten with an ugly stick.
Good point. Now I can think of one.
Vanessa: That’s you in a nutshell.
Austin Powers: No, this is me in a nutshell: ‘Help! I’m in a nutshell. How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this?’
I can’t think of a way to non-insultingly apply “mannish” to a woman.
And I can’t think of ‘mannish’ being used ever. My impression was that female competition tended to be a little more sophisticated than banal locker room banter.
Well, I don’t think it would customarily be said to one’s face...
I’d say that “mannish” is an obsolete insult—in use in the 1940s and 1950s (I’m going by feel on this).
“Looks like a man” is current, and specifically about appearance.
I’m not sure if there are standard insults used by women to other women about other masculine traits.
Have you never seen Austin Powers?
Good point. Now I can think of one.
And that is just damn funny.