There really aren’t too many of us these days: long-haired freaky looking guys. Especially those of us who aren’t that freaky. We grow up, get respectable jobs or just loose our follicles. Society eventually molds us to its will.
Or does it?
A funny thing happened on my way to respectability. I found out I just wasn’t that corporate. And I decided that in honor of my brothers who no longer can, if I can grow my hair, I should.
So here I am once again in familiar territory; the end of the dreaded in-between stage where you can’t pull all your hair into a ponytail so most of the time it looks like a mop in a light socket. “Push through,” I tell myself. “Wear a hat.” Oh yes, that doesn’t work either; my hair makes it slide up my head. “Push through.”
Now I’m nearing the end. I’m able to wave my “freak flag” with pride. Kind of funny for those of us (again) who just aren’t that freaky…but I can remember when I was, maaaaan!
So eventually I have to put on a hard hat, a necessary accompaniment of my chosen occupation. Personal protective equipment is everyone’s responsibility. I always want to return home with all my faculties, sans a piece of drill pipe in my head.
And, Spring is here along with a reminder that the heat is coming. I broke out in sweat this week. Remember that sticky, salty perspiration that makes hair stick to the back of your neck? And forehead? And wherever else it can reach?
Which brings me in a roundabout way to the point of this musing. I somewhat accidentally discovered the continual twisting of a pony tail will eventually roll up into a bun. And double-wrap a hair band around said bun and it is almost like a temporary shearing. Amazing! And, it fits around the inside straps of a hard hat. Tremendous!
But here’s the deal. Not since the time of the Samurai have hair buns been cool when worn by men. However, being the trendsetter that I’ve never been, I don’t mind stepping out there in an effort to – as in the days of the great sworded, martial arts warriors of old – make hair buns cool for men.
So, here is where I need your help. I need a cool name for the “man-bun” because man-bun just is not going to cut it, so to speak. So keep it clean and send your suggestions on a cool name for the man-bun. Help me make this thing as respectable as possible, okay?
The Loaf.
I’m not often accused of being a Gentleman but I do like the name. So many good suggestions but I’m pretty settled on knump. My wife, on the other hand, would prefer BunHomme. I’m sure of it. Now I just need to convince her and the rest of the world.
I don’t know if you’re still taking suggestions, but i think i got the perfect name for it. BunHomme or Bun-homme. When pronounced, it sounds like Bonhomme (Gentleman in french).
Juergen: It’s got svelte. Your name takes the man-bun to a continental level with panache. Very nice work!
Mark,
Just got a chance to check back, and I like the “bro non” pronunciation better.
Anne
Okay….here is my last try….how about “HOT KNOT”? You said that you like to wear your hair up when it’s hot!! But…..hot can mean other things too….so, maybe it works both ways?! ‘HOT KNOT’ is a sensible AND a confidence building name!! 🙂
I love the fact that you are so competitive!! “Hot Knot….” – nice!
…made me miggle!
@Kelly….I am very competitive….it can be a blessing and a curse! LOL You should have seen me playing a silly baby shower game at my niece’s baby shower last week! My Mom just laughed and shook her head at me! LOL I raised one just like me….my daughter ended up winning the game….she’s competitive too! LOL
@The Howard….glad I could make you ‘miggle’….your comment made me ‘guckle’….girl-chuckle!! LOL This has been a fun little game!!
Shannon…hang in there. The synapses are firing!
Joey, which syllable is the emPHAsis on?
Anne, would that be pronounced “bro non” or “brog non”? Those french are tricky sometimes.
I thnk I’ve narrowed it down to knump, bro-gnon and kronkelen. We’ll have to put them to a vote considering positive and negative connotations for each.
Keep ’em coming until then!
The Swedish word for “bun” is “bulle” but it’s the kind you would eat. The Dutch word for “twist” or “to twist” rather would be “kronkelen” which rolls right off the tongue if you ask me.
I’m not a huge fan of the portmanteau route but I know they are gaining popularity in American English. If you wanted to go that way though…. I would suggest against “Mun” as it’s already taken and would serve to confuse those in the know.
Darn….mine wasn’t even in the running….. 🙁 How about ‘DUDE DOO’?! Wait….that sounds like doo doo….yeah….I doubt you would pick that one either…. LOL 😉
A redditor came through with one more: Ninja Knot.
You guys are good! My early favs are Chump stump, bro-gnon, knump and sakayaki. I’m not bad enough to revive chomage though I do know a kata or two (performing them well is a completely different story!). I’m going to buy somebody an RDC t-shirt as soon as I figure out how to pick a fav.
Keep ’em coming!
I’m tellin ya… CHUMP STUMP!!
Ha ha ha ha!
How about “man-gnon” a manly variation of the “chignon” or french version of the bun. “Chignon” comes from the phase “chignon du cou” which means “nape of the neck”. Or maybe “him-gnon” or perhaps, “dude-gnon” or “bro-gnon”.
I say, go the Seinfeld route…..call it a MUN!! They called a male bimbo a ‘MIMBO’ and bra for a man a ‘Manzierre’ or a ‘Bro’!! So….man bun = MUN!! I know I was quite as esoteric as the previous posts….but hopefully, I made you ‘Miggle’….that’s man giggle! 😉 LOL
Here are two from Redditors: “Fun Bun” and “Le Pouf.” 🙂
Lauren, my waitress at The Upper Crust, suggested Knump. A cross between a knot and a lump. All good suggestions. Keep them coming!
Man…I was thinking “dude-swoop”…but Yvonne and Columbine are way more thoughtful.
SAKAYAKI
It is said that it is the origin of this hairstyle to have met hair
in order to prevent dizziness on the head when a helmet is attached.
How about that for a name!
🙂
Hey, Mark, here’s some cool historical facts I just found Googling.
The samurai’s hair was an important part of his appearance, and most texts and house-codes of the samurai make reference to the importance of its neat appearance. The traditional hairstyle (for the better part of a thousand years) was the topknot, a fashion by no means exclusive to the samurai. Nearly everyone, with the exception of Buddhist priests, wore topknots, making the genesis of this style nearly impossible to guess at it with authority. There is reference to the use of topknots in ancient China, and it might have been one of the many cultural imports introduced to Japan between the Asuka-Nara and Heian Periods. Needless to say, there was any number of styles of topknot by the Edo Period. The chasen-gami , for instance, was produced by wrapping a piece of string around the length of the topknot, producing a spray of hair at the end that resembled a tea wisk. The topknot would then either be worn back or forward, hanging over the center of the head. The mitsu-ori was a style popular in the later 16th Century. The hair was well oiled and formed into a queue and folded forward on the head, then back again, and was tied in place. An abbreviated version, the futatsu-yori, was only folded forward before being tied, and was trimmed with a razor to give the front an almost solid appearance. Interestingly, these styles were not uncommon among the lower classes.
That is a “chomage,” a Samurai hairstyle.