What it means
Means dirty, grimy, smelly or just plain rank. If a place is manky, it looks like it hasn't seen a wipe-down since last year. If the weather's manky, it's that grey damp misery. You can even call food or trainers manky when they're gone off or ruined. It's a handy little word for anything that makes you pull a face.
Usage examples
"Nah mate, don't touch that bench, it's well manky and some bloke's spilled kebab sauce on it. Let's stand over there by the shop."
"Bin those manky old trainers, they have been sitting in a puddle by the back door for a fortnight and they reek."
Where it comes from
Northern and general British for anything grimy, grotty or downright rank, the kind of thing you would poke with a stick before touching. Manky socks, a manky old sofa left out in the rain, a manky sandwich forgotten in a bag. The word sounds exactly as unpleasant as the stuff it describes, which is half the fun.
Other ways to say it
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