Great article! On the subject of “man up,” there’s also all the variations of “be a man,” which we men usually get told when we express any emotions. And when it comes to dating, it’s almost always aggressive. (“Be a man and fight for her!”) Same goes for all the variations on “grow a pair/have some balls.”

Also, “be a gentleman,” which adds a gendered component to “be polite.” I try to hold the door for women, but I also try to hold the door for other men. It’s just generally kind to hold the door for people. I’ve never seen a woman melt at the touch of door handles.

And lastly, I really hate “dick” in the context of personality. It’s nowhere near as demeaning as the word you mentioned regarding women, but I feel like they’re different sides of the same coin. (If men are more aggressive than women, then women must be…) I don’t consider that area to be an important part of my personality.