mano a mano

See also: mano-a-mano

English

Alternative forms

• mano-a-mano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mano a mano (literally “hand-to-hand”); on equal footing, neither of two participants having any distinct advantage.

Noun

mano a mano

1. A head-on conflict or direct competition.

   Synonym: duel

   The public debate became a heated mano a mano between the two leading candidates.

   • 1985 June 9, William Kennedy, “The Last Ole”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Hemingway's subject for the epilogue was the mano a mano (or hand-to-hand, a duel) between Spain's two leading matadors, Luis Miguel Dominguin and his brother-in-law, Antonio Ordonez.

Translations

a head-on conflict or direct competition; a duel

• Polish: jeden na jednego
• Portuguese: mano a mano (pt) m
• Russian: дуэ́ль (ru) f (duélʹ)
• Spanish: mano a mano m

Adjective

mano a mano (not comparable)

1. in close confrontation

   We sat tensely in the courtroom while the mano-a-mano struggle ensued between the two skilled lawyers.

   • 2016 May 23, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Apocalypse pits the strengths of the X-Men series against the weaknesses”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[2]:

     When he finally goes mano a mano with Xavier at the climax, it’s in a psychic battle staged inside the latter’s dreamspace, which happens to look exactly like his mansion

Adverb

mano a mano (not comparable)

1. Characterized by head-to-head competition or conflict.

   The newcomer brashly engaged the veteran player mano a mano.

   • 2019 December 10, Yacht Club Games, "Story" (Reize), in Shovel Knight Showdown (version 4.1), Nintendo Switch:

     Baz: 'BAD NEWS, BUD. I NEVER WANTED TO FIGHTCHA, BUT IF WE WANT OUT, WE GOTTA SCRAP! YOU 'N ME, MANO A MANO.'

Italian

Adverb

mano a mano

1. Alternative form of a mano a mano preferred form.

Further reading

• Treccani: Domande e risposte sulla grammatica italiana

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mano a mano.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.nu a ˈmɐ̃.nu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.nu a ˈmɐ̃.nu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.no a ˈmɐ.no/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.nu ɐ ˈmɐ.nu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.nu ɐ ˈmɐ.nu/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.nu ɐ ˈma.nu/

Noun

mano a mano m (uncountable)

1. mano a mano (a head-on conflict or direct competition)

Adverb

mano a mano (not comparable)

1. mano a mano, on equal terms (by means of a head-to-head competition)
   • Fernando Tordo (lyrics and music) (1973) “Tourada”, (in Portuguese): “Toureamos ombro a ombro as feras ― We control on equal terms the beasts”

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmano a ˈmano/ [ˌma.no a ˈma.no]
• Syllabification: ma‧no a ma‧no

Adjective

mano a mano (invariable)

1. hand to hand (competition), or sometimes hand in hand (cooperation); on equal terms, close together

Noun

mano a mano m (plural mano a mano)

1. (bullfighting) a corrida in which two rival matadors alternate in fighting several bulls each

Descendants

• → English: mano a mano
• → Portuguese: mano a mano

Further reading

• “mano a mano”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10