Essex man
- noun
- Slur
:
hombre de Essex (despectivo)
- He saw himself as an Essex man, always eager to show off his new car and flashy clothes.
Examples
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Dressed in their designer outfits, the Essex men proudly shared stories of their extravagant lifestyles.
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The restaurant was full of Essex men discussing their latest business ventures and luxury holidays.
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It was like the haikus of an Essex man on a downer.
Synonyms
3
8.4
A young man who dresses and acts in a showy, attention-seeking way
A man who dresses and acts in a flashy way to attract attention
How Materialistic
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'Essex' (a place) and 'man' will transparently infer the literal sense 'a man from Essex', but the sociocultural stereotype (materialistic, aspirational, conspicuous consumption) is culturally specific and not derivable from the constituent meanings alone. Because the core denotation is transparent but the connotations require extra cultural/political knowledge, this item is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Essex man comes from the county Essex and the word man, where in the 1980s many local men began to earn more money and buy shiny cars and loud clothes. Because these men liked to show their new wealth, people started using Essex man to mean 'a man who likes flashy things and wants to get ahead'.