Man Dem
Originally Jamaican Patois for "those men" or "my people." In Toronto it's used loosely for your crew or group of friends, regardless of who's actually in it.
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How it's used
This is relationship vocabulary — how people in the GTA refer to friends, crews, and showing respect.
“Pulled up with the man dem to the game.”
Where it comes from
Origin: Jamaican Patois: "those men / my people". It's one of many Toronto terms that trace back to Jamaican Patois, brought into the city through Toronto's Caribbean communities. Read the fuller story in our history of Toronto slang.
Sources
This entry was compiled through general research into Toronto/GTA slang rather than one single citable source — see the full bibliography in SOURCES.md and the wider context in our history of Toronto slang.