London meaning
mandem
A group of male friends, associates, or members of a peer group.
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Meaning
Mandem refers collectively to a group of men or boys, often a speaker's friends or social circle. It developed through Caribbean-influenced speech and is now prominent in London youth language.
Pronunciation and grammar
/ˈmændɛm/ · plural noun
Variants: man dem
Informal Multicultural London English; also widespread through music and social media.
How it is used
A speaker may use the word for friends they are meeting, a wider peer group, or a group being discussed. Context determines whether it sounds affectionate, neutral, or critical.
Examples
Local: I'm meeting the mandem after work.
Plain English: I'm meeting my male friends after work.
Local: The mandem were already outside.
Plain English: The group of male friends were already outside.
Important context
Mandem is plural in meaning even though it does not use the standard English plural ending. It should not be treated as a universal label for every group of men.