new lad en · NOUN
Etymology
Modeled on New Man, coined by Northern Irish music and photography journalist Sean O'Hagan in 1991.
Meanings
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(UK) A sexist young man who embraces traditional male attitudes.
When the economy picked up and men, becoming more confident, realised that women didn't fancy new men... along came the New Lads. Which was refreshing for about two- and-half minutes. But the New Lads had a similar lifespan to the New Man.
2000 November 5, Will Buckley, “New Man is back—again”, in The Observer:What we are dealing with here is the New Lad, a rather schizoid, post-feminist fellow with an inbuilt psychic regulator that enables him to imperceptibly alter his consciousness according to the company he keeps. Basically, the New Lad aspires to New Man status when he's with women, but reverts to Old Lad type when he's out with the boys. Clever, eh?
1991 May/June, Sean O'Hagan, “The Reinvented Man”, in Arena, page 22:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| new lads | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| New Lad | alternative | lexicographic |