"Men appear to be conditioned to think that anything that stops them dead in their tracks must be a flu, rather than the common cold.

"A cold simply doesn't sound serious enough."
—Jane Symons, "Women also catch man-flu," The Sun (England), November 30, 2006

This disease is man flu. For those unfamiliar with this insidious condition, man flu is a lot like the common cold. So much like it in fact that many believe it is just a common cold. However once it takes hold in its victim — always male as the name suggests — it is completely debilitating and only complete bed rest and mollycoddling by the nearest and dearest female can treat it.
—Naomi Toy, "Runny nose, irritable? Looks like man flu," The Daily Telegraph (Australia), May 5, 2006

"The cold" has descended upon this house and I don't mean the frosty driveway or chilly mornings. This is the viral category or as a friend calls it "Man flu"!

What a truly wonderful and spot-on description. Man flu, applicable only to those who do not suffer well.
—Claire Eakins, "In search of cold comfort," Belfast Telegraph, January 13, 2003