butch up
Adopt masculine demeanor
To butch up is to adopt a more masculine appearance or manner, often deliberately suppressing feminine traits: He butched up his voice for the phone interview.
The phrase implies conscious performance rather than natural behavior, and appears frequently in LGBTQ contexts where gender presentation is fluid: She butched up for the softball league.
- masculineMale in character
- tough guyIntimidating, resilient person
- strongHaving great physical power
- gender normsSocial expectations by sex
- resilientAble to recover quickly
confident · macho · alpha male · stoic · queer identity · flex · leather · swagger · stereotypes · hypermasculinity · strut · power stance · manly · societal expectations · gender roles · muscular · bold · rugged
butch upfeminize
Make more womanly
camp it up · doll up · pretty up · mince · swish
butch upsoften up
Reduce resistance gradually
soften · let one's guard down · open up · mellow out · unwind