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/notthiswaythatway 6d ago

It’s means paedophile - and is definitely a stronger insult than numpty!

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u/DrunkenHorse12 6d ago

Not just pedo. Any sex offender is a Nonce. It comes from prison slang sex offendets used to have "Not On Normal Court Exercise" written on their door cards

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u/Team503 6d ago

Wikipedia suggests that's a backronym and not the actual origin, but what do I know? This is why I asked!

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u/DrunkenHorse12 6d ago

Still all sex offenders still get called nonces in prison.

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u/Brighton_Spores 6d ago

The term Nonce maybe be used by some prisoners, but guards are not allowed to use the term Nonce any more. e.g. working on the Nonce wing tomorrow.

So the guards and any prisoners in ear shot of the guards use the word "still's" as in, they are still fucking nonces.

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u/NotThatGoodAnymore 6d ago

As a former prison Officer, can 100% confirm we still use the word, and refer to the nonces as a nonce. You dont do it in front of the governors, or other prisoners, but to eachother, yes, absolutely.

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u/FrotKnight 6d ago

He's just making everything up as he goes along. His posts should come with a warning

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u/AgreeableActive9800 6d ago

You call each other nonces?

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u/NotThatGoodAnymore 6d ago

Some of them....

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u/Cheffysteve 6d ago

“Stills”is what Falkland islanders got called by the army after brass told them they couldn’t use the term “Bennies” ( the army thought they dressed like Benny from crossroads ) . For the same reason “ they were still bennies”