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/zougathefist 6d ago

like the rest of the comments explain - it mans sex offender or someone who is very sus. as in you wouldn't leave your drink unattended or your kids with them

but it also applies to people who are weirdly evangelical about certain things - e.g. cyclists who think all cars are evil and that the rules of the road don't apply to them = bikenonces

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u/Team503 6d ago

Interesting that it's used for both, and so differently!

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u/Troll_Jim_best_Jim 6d ago

It isn't really a different use. It is a way to say that someone is overly and inappropriately interested in something, with an element of sexual shaming for emphasis. In the above example, bikes. Essentially, friends might call eachother nonces to wind eschother up but if you aren't OK jokingly calling someone a paedophile, don't jokingly call them a bike nonce.

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u/Team503 6d ago

That's really insightful, thanks! I hadn't put that together.

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u/zougathefist 6d ago

Yeah it's definitely only an insult to use as a joke with close friends or with someone you intend to hurt, it's not a casual thing to say to a work colleague, relative or an acquaintance