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man·ner (m n r)n.1. A way of doing something or the way in which a thing is done or happens. See Synonyms at method. 2. A way of acting; bearing or behavior. 3. mannersa. The socially correct way of acting; etiquette. b. The prevailing customs, social conduct, and norms of a specific society, period, or group, especially as the subject of a literary work. 4. Practice, style, execution, or method in the arts: This fresco is typical of the painter's early manner. 5. a. Kind; sort: What manner of person is she? b. Kinds; sorts: saw all manner of people at the mall. Idioms: in a manner of speaking In a way; so to speak. to the manner born Accustomed to a position, custom, or lifestyle from or as if from birth.
[Middle English manere, from Old French maniere, from feminine of manier, handmade, skillful, from Vulgar Latin *manu rius, convenient, handy, from Latin, of the hand, from manus, hand; see man-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
manners [ˈmænəz]pl n1. social conduct he has the manners of a pig 2. a socially acceptable way of behaving Manners See Also: BEHAVIOR, PROPRIETY/IMPROPRIETY - As chatty and polite as Rotarians —Richard Ford
- Decorously polite as patients in a dentist’s waiting room —Francis King
- Evil manners will, like watered grass, grow up very quickly —Plautus
While bad manners might no longer be looked upon as evil, Plautus’ simile in relation to how any evil spreads remains true. - Had the manners of a disobliging steamroller … and he was rather less particular about his dress than a scarecrow —George Bernard Shaw
- His speech sounds like a spoken bread-and-butter note —W. P. Kinsella
See Also: SPEAKING - Manners are like spices, you can’t make a meal of them but they add a great deal to the meal’s enjoyment —Anon
- Manners are like the cipher in arithmetic; they may not be of much value in themselves, but they are capable of adding a great deal to the value of everything else —Anon
- Manners … as soft as wool —Lorenz Hart
This is part of the refrain of a song named “Moon of My Delight” written for Chee-Chee. - Our manners, like our faces, though ever so beautiful must differ in their beauty —Lord Shaftesbury
- The pleasure of courtesy is like the pleasure of good dancing —Alain
- Polite as pie —F. van Wyck Mason
- Politeness is like an air-cushion; there may be nothing to it, but it eases our jolts wonderfully —Samuel Johnson
- Rudeness (to Mrs. Dosely) was like dropping a pat of butter on to a hot plate, it slid and melted away —Elizabeth Bowen
- Sedate as a judge in court —Rhys Davies
- Sit bolt upright and smile without cease like a well-bred dinner guest —Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
- To be cordial is like roughing a man’s head to jolly him up, or kissing a child that doesn’t want to be kissed. You are relieved when it’s over —George Santayana
- Ungracious as a hog —Tobias Smollett
- Ungracious … like a child who opens a birthday gift and barely glances at it before reaching to unwarp the next —Barbara Lazear Ascher
- An ungracious man is like a story told at the wrong time —The Holy Bible/Apocrypha
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | manners - social deportment; "he has the manners of a pig" |
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