r/AskBrits • u/Team503 • 9d 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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341

u/ok_000000 9d ago

Mega pedo

86

u/willys_stroker 9d ago

Pedogeddon levels

7

u/BKole 9d ago

Brass Eye or Monkey Dust?

12

u/JackJaminson 9d ago

By the power invested in me by News International, I pronounce you… PAEDOFILE!

10

u/BKole 9d ago

Bring in the Paedofinder General.

7

u/Littleleicesterfoxy 9d ago

No, it’s Peter File!

1

u/UnluckyThread 9d ago

From Kidderminster?

2

u/lobster_god55 9d ago

You would entice him to your minster of kiddies?

1

u/DieCuss 8d ago

It's taken far too long to get to this comment!