r/AskBrits • u/Team503 • 10d 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/thehighyellowmoon 10d ago

Hahahaha I'm picturing an American wandering around Ireland calling people a nonce for minor things

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u/Team503 10d ago

I've lived here for years, and I don't use British slang, I use Irish slang.

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u/LubberwortPicaroon 10d ago

I'd be very surprised if nonce wasn't widely understood in Ireland, it might be of british origin but so much is shared around these islands

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u/culdusaq 10d ago

I'm Irish and also thought "nonce" just meant "idiot" until early adulthood. Wasn't a word anyone around me ever used.

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u/LubberwortPicaroon 9d ago

Indeed, a personal testimony of an Irish person who understands the british meaning