mandem en · NOUN
Etymology
Borrowed from Jamaican Creole man dem (“men”). Equivalent to man + them.
Meanings
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(Multicultural-London-English, plural, plural-only) A group of men or boys; male friends or fellow gang members.
The mandem all used to go round there and get head off her, the sister blowing the man line by line while her brother shotted downstairs in the stairwell.
2011, “Chyna”, in How I Escaped a Girl Gang: Rolling in a London Girl Gang:But you see my man over there with the pouch Dare one of you man try get loud All of my mandem move so foul
2015, “Shut Up”, performed by Stormzy:She probably heard some hyped up version from the mandem but she don't know the truth. She ain't seen what I seen.
2013, Polly Courtney, Feral Youth, page 169:The mandem too inconsiderate, five-star hotel, smokin' cigarette / Mixin' codeine up with the Phenergan
2023, “Sprinter”, performed by Central Cee x Dave:[…] reports suggest he may have had links to that group and allied north London gangs such as the Broadwater Farm Posse and Tottenham Mandem.
2013, David Childs, Britain since 1945: A Political History: