Meaning
Manspreading is the act of spreading your legs wide open while sitting down. It is a compound word combining “man” and “spreading”. It is most associated with men and is seen as rude. The problem with manspreading is that it makes sitting beside the person uncomfortable. Also, it is an ugly look.
Manspreading is a newer word to describe a societal issue that I am sure has been around much longer. The word arose during an anti-manspreading campaign on Tumblr in 2013. It appeared in an AmNY post in 2014 discussing the phenomenon. OxfordDicitonaries.com added the word to their database in 2015 while the earliest entry on urban dictionary dates to 2014.
Spread the Word
There was a controversial campaign where people posted pictures of people manspreading without the man’s consent. The numerous complaints have led some areas to ban manspreading. Notably, Madrid banned it in 2017 after receiving a petition with over 12,000 signatures. There has also been advertising campaigns to discourage men from spreading their legs. I like the slogan that Philadelphia came up with: “Dude, it’s Rude.”
There has also been some pushback against banning manspreading. Some people claim that because women have larger pelvises, it is easier for them to put their legs together. What do you think? Is it biological or just rude?
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Reference:
https://neologisms.blogs.wm.edu/2016/04/11/manspreading/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manspreading
https://www.amny.com/transit/man-spread-a-widening-blight-on-public-transportation-say-riders-1.9473786/
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=manspreading
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/mandspreading-madrid-spain-ban-public-transport-bus-metro-behaviour-etiquette-a7779041.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40233435
https://www.boredpanda.com/men-leg-manspreading-explained-q-angle/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic