Here is Garner's Usage Tip of the Day:
male, adj.; masculine; manly; manlike; mannish.
All these terms mean "of or relating to men," but their uses can be finely distinguished.
"Male" is the most neutral {male-pattern baldness}. "Masculine" shares this neutral sense {masculine traits}, but often suggests the positive qualities traditionally associated with men {his masculine confidence was no charade}. "Manly" carries the positive connotations of "masculine" {manly strength and vigor}.
"Manlike" most often refers to nonhumans {a tribe of manlike apes}. "Mannish" typically has negative connotations, especially in reference to a woman {she had a mannish appearance}.
Although these terms bear interesting historical distinctions, in modern usage some of them—particularly "manly" and "mannish"—are considered politically incorrect: "manly" because it suggests that women don't possess the admirable qualities denoted, and "mannish" because it typically applies to women in a derogatory sense.
The final paragraph is of most interest to me, especially the part about political incorrectness. Are there not qualities that men possess but that women do not possess, and mightn't some of these be admirable? Conversely, are there not qualities that women possess but that men do not possess, and mightn't some of these be admirable? Are there no morally relevant differences between men and women, in other words? Does difference necessarily imply superiority and inferiority? Can't men and women be different (in certain ways) but equal?
