Manky
Meaning: Dirty, unpleasant, or of poor quality
British slang for something disgusting, dirty, or inferior. Can describe physical dirtiness, poor quality, or general unpleasantness.
Examples
- This towel is manky—I need a clean one. 这条毛巾太脏了——我需要一条干净的Esta toalla está asquerosa, necesito una limpiaこのタオル汚い——きれいなのが必要だ이 수건 더러워—깨끗한 거 필요해.
- The weather's been manky all week. 整个星期天气都很糟糕El tiempo ha sido espantoso toda la semana一週間ずっと天気がひどかった일주일 내내 날씨가 지독했어.
- That's a manky-looking sandwich. 那个三明治看起来真恶心Ese bocadillo tiene una pinta asquerosaあのサンドイッチ、見た目がひどい저 샌드위치 꼴이 영 아니네.
Pronunciation
/ˈmæŋki/
Usage Guide
Context: dirtiness, quality, disgust
Tone: disgusted, dismissive
✓ Do Say
- That's manky那真脏Eso está asquerosoそれは汚い그거 더러워
- A bit manky有点脏Un poco asquerosoちょっと汚い좀 지저분해
✗ Don't Say
- Informal British slang英式非正式俚语Argot informal británicoイギリスのくだけたスラング영국 밖에서는 통하지 않음
Common Mistakes
- Using outside UK
Origin & History
British slang, possibly from Polari or from Scottish 'mank' (defective). Became common in mid-20th century to describe anything dirty, nasty, or substandard.
Etymology: Possibly from Polari or Scottish dialect
First recorded: Mid-20th century British
Cultural Context
Era: Mid-20th century onwards
Generation: All ages in UK
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: British TV and everyday speech
Regional notes: British primarily.
Variations
Related Phrases
More From This Topic
More from Describing Things
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free