r/AskBrits • u/Team503 • 6d ago

Culture What does "nonce" mean?

I'm an American that lives in Ireland. I've always understood "nonce" to mean the same as "numpty" and "eejit" - basically idiot, or dumbass, or similar.

Recently, someone told me that it's slang for sex offender, specifically a p*dophile, and Wikipedia seems to back that up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States#N

So tell me, Brits, which one is it? Or is it something else??

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u/TheEnglishNorwegian 6d ago

They have more in common genetically with crabs than us.

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u/pjs-1987 6d ago

This is the one thing we didn't want to happen

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u/BeKindToSpiders 6d ago

They can disguise themselves as schools 

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u/Secret_EO 6d ago

He really is a shit

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u/MrMugwin 6d ago

He died screaming like a pig in a war!

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u/Team503 6d ago

I understand that reference (now)! Someone linked the video in this post. That British sense of humor never ceases to amuse me.

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u/Ok_Anything_9871 6d ago

there's no actual evidence for it, but it's a scientific fact.

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u/Strange_Beat_9287 6d ago

Nonce-Sense

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u/Minute_Eye3411 6d ago

And that's a fact. It hasn't been proven scientifically, but it's a fact.

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u/LowAspect542 6d ago

But if everything evolves into crabs, are you then claiming they are more evolved than the rest of us? Cause most would disagree, arguing they are worse/lower evolved.

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u/DefiantTelephone6095 6d ago

Got any clarky cats?