Gran's Saying. TRIGGER WARNING FOR OBJECTIONABLE SUBJECT.

[pronker]

Gran (1900-1986) had a term for a boyfriend of a married woman: Mr. Man.  As a little girl living with Gran and Gramps, I thought it was simply this guy's name ("Mr. Mann," possibly) who came to visit a woman who lived on our street.  The woman had been married for ten years and then separated from her husband.  The affair began after she moved out

Comments

[sollersuk]

I have a recollection of my cousins, in Swansea in the very early 1950s, addressing any man whose name they didn't know, as "Mr Man". I'm not sure how widespread it was (we spoke Wenglish but had connections with North Devon) but it fitted in with the 'Mr Men" creations of Roger Hargreaves, children's book characters representing a single emotion or characteristic.

[pronker]

Fascinating! It would seem this expression fits the part of the world that Gran was influenced by. Many thanks for the insight.

[sollersuk]

Glad to be of service!

Probably a transatlantic thing, but I'm a bit puzzled by the "trigger warning". One might just as well paint it on the door of an English church with the Ten Commandments on the wall inside.

[pronker]

One might just as well paint it on the door of an English church with the Ten Commandments on the wall inside. Wouldn't that be something! Would such action halt adultery? *ponders*

[beesandbrews]

I picked this expression up from Mindy and Buttons cartoons, Animaniacs 1990s. Mindy, a toddler, used it for any male figure in her life. (She called her mother "Lady" as part of a repeating bit of business (Call me mom or mommy!).)

I still use it affectionately with pets.

[pronker]

Thanks for the clue - this may be where I'd heard it, because my son watched this program, too.

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[pronker]

Well. This is interesting.

[rebecca2525]

I know it from the Alanis Morisette song "Right Through You": Hello Mr. Man, you didn't think I'd come back, fitting with the patterns of the other verses Wait a minute man and Wait a minute sir.

[pronker]

Thanks for the info - this comports with the flirty nature of the term. I'm glad I asked around here!

[piperki]

Annie Wilkes in Misery repeatedly addresses Paul Sheldon as Mr. Man: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100157/quotes?item=qt0269487 etc. (several quotes on this page, and you can find video on YouTube).

[pronker]

Okay - I'm adding to the data here: Mr. Man is not a friendly term. It's confrontational, edgy, and on the brighter end of this spectrum, teasing/flirty. :)

[sollersuk]

Definitely not my experience - childish but polite.

[pronker]

Hmmm. These LJ comments contain references to an innocent child's use of the term. I was thinking more of the original situation of not-innocent adultery.