Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Irish) to discipline, to force into line.

1938		Bulletin of the Amer. Library Association 874: Mrs. Durand told an Irish folk-tale, ‘How To Put Manners on Children.’.
1942		P. Gallagher Paddy the Cope 52: You bet the Edinburgh wee lad put manners on me.
1951		F. O’Connor Traveller’s Samples 131: [They] needed some respectable woman to put manners on them.
1969		F. O’Connor Collection Three 99: For a great part of the time he was a bishop or archbishop who put manners on the raw young priests.
1987		L. Redmond Emerald Square 259: I have never forgotten this ill-starred creature, who put manners on at least one most un-Christian Brother. He would never beat another boy like that again.
1994		(con. 1978) G. Byrne Pictures in my Head 91: Wait till Benjy comes home, by Jasus, he’ll put manners on you.

(W.I./UK black) behaving as required, submitting to another person’s orders.

1992		V. Headley Yardie 9: The two men had expected to have him ‘under manners’ from the start.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 178: Sonny and Roy immediately come under manners, stop pushing and shoving.