# Why do people say 'mano y mano'? It's 'mano a mano.' **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694 "2005-11-25T16:53:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/1 "2005-11-25T16:53:25Z")
I hear this all the time in sports and entertainment. “They went at it mano y mano (hand and hand.)” Shouldn’t it be mano **a** mano (hand to hand, as in combat)? “Hand and hand” sounds like cooperation or even romance, not battle. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/2 "2005-11-25T16:56:40Z")
Which people? I’ve never heard anyone say “mano y mano.” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/3 "2005-11-25T17:05:38Z")
I’ve heard it plenty of times. It’s simply people making and perpetuating a mistake, I guess. Sort of like how people say “I can care less” when they mean exactly the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/4 "2005-11-25T17:37:27Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Which people? I’ve never heard anyone say “mano y mano.” Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/5 "2005-11-25T17:53:36Z")
Can’t say I’ve ever heard it said “mano y mano” on television progs and films we get down here from the States. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/6 "2005-11-26T23:42:26Z")
bump. ---
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/7 "2005-11-26T23:45:51Z")
Why do they say mano a mano when they mean man to man? ---
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/8 "2005-11-26T23:47:04Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I’ve heard it plenty of times. It’s simply people making and perpetuating a mistake, I guess. Sort of like how people say “I can care less” when they mean exactly the opposite. Unless you’re ironic like me. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/9 "2005-11-27T00:12:15Z")
Never heard it as “mano y mano,” either. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/10 "2005-11-27T00:16:05Z")
Could be worse. They could be saying “mano en mano.” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/11 "2005-11-27T00:27:50Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Never heard it as “mano y mano,” either. “mano a mano” means hand to hand [combat] “mano y mano” means hand and hand Which give us: [Manos](http://www.wiztext.com/iStates/images/MVC-762S.JPG) [http://www.wiztext.com/iStates/Day08.html](http://www.wiztext.com/iStates/Day08.html) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/12 "2005-11-27T00:40:44Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Why do they say mano a mano when they mean man to man? This drives me up a wall and down the other side! When I hear it on the radio or TV, I’m compelled to scream back. Stoopit people! :mad: RIght up there with “different than” rather than “different from.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/13 "2005-11-27T03:30:14Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Why do they say mano a mano when they mean man to man? Lt. Howard Hunter on \*Hill Street Blues \* used to do that. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/14 "2005-11-27T08:09:46Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Why do they say mano a mano when they mean man to man? It’s just one of those expressions using the rhetorical device when part of something represents the whole (can’t remember the name of the term right now). It implies fist fighting, but can also a more combative way of saying “man to man.” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/15 "2005-11-27T11:30:46Z")
I think you’re giving most people who use it that way too much credit. What’s a typical way of Spanishizing a word? Adding an O to the end. I am pretty sure most of the people I’ve met who used “mano a mano” to use “man to man” do so becausue they think that it’s the actual Spanish translation. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/16 "2005-11-27T16:40:01Z")
Here’s an example from a Las Vegas Review-Journal headline: “[Mano y mano stare-downs all about getting Tough Tony to blink first](http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May-09-Mon-2005/news/26465548.html)”. It was one of the first hits I got when googling “mano y mano.” Like the OP, I hear it pretty frequently. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/17 "2005-12-07T04:30:47Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > I think you’re giving most people who use it that way too much credit. What’s a typical way of Spanishizing a word? Adding an O to the end. I am pretty sure most of the people I’ve met who used “mano a mano” to use “man to man” do so becausue they think that it’s the actual Spanish translation. So you’re saying that the correct expression is “mana y mana?” Great!!! Two Maná concerts at the price of one! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/18 "2005-12-07T16:12:20Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > So you’re saying that the correct expression is “mana y mana?” > > Great!!! Two Maná concerts at the price of one! Maybe you’re kidding, but let me sort this just in case. mano = hand a = to y = and hombre (the “h” is silent) = man hombre a hombre = man to man mano a mano = hand to hand mano y mano =hand and hand ---
**Author:** ![ephemeral1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@ephemeral1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ephemeral1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/19 "2005-12-07T16:16:21Z")
I always thought it was one of those ever so clever ways of making fun of Mexicans… based on the genious linguistic theory of adding an “o” at the end of every word to make anything into Spanish… So, yes, that it would then mean “man to man”, rather than “hand to hand”. Oh, and as to your actual question, in this theory, thy “y” is there for, well, authenticity, I suppose (which seems to be the big concern here). Sad thing is, I think some people actually believe that’s how languages work. Ah, to have so simple a mind. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694/20 "2005-12-07T23:56:19Z")
(IIRC) In “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees) says to Robin Hood (Cary Elwes) right before a big fight: “…Mano y mano, man to man, just you and me and my – GUARDS!!!” …Or maybe I’m just remembering it that way in my head. Who has the movie and can verify? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-say-mano-y-mano-its-mano-a-mano/332694.md?page=2)