Dear Marianna: It seems to me that neologisms are more likely to catch on, if there is some sort of clue in their sound to suggest origin. Perhaps skanky could combine features of skunk and cranky. Manky is a bit harder. I am thinking of manicky and manque, but can't see any blending of those two.
There used to be a cliche about "Run it up the flagpole, and see if anybody salutes it." I can't quite manage a salute. wwh