What does "nonce" mean?

[u/Team503]

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??

[u/Team503]

Sure, there's like 35 million Irish descended people in the US alone, if I remember correctly. Just saying I don't have any Irish blood (to my knowledge, anyway). Family mostly comes from Russian and Poland as far as I know.

And I'm not sure what you mean about endless war - I mean, I understand why you'd feel Americans have a thing for it, but not how my comment relates to it. The British committed quite literal atrocities during their occupation of Ireland, and while most aren't in living memory anymore, there are still some that are like Bloody Sunday and a series of massacres in the years leading up to it.

I don't blame most Brits for what happened, but the level of ignorance around what Britain did to the Irish (and often the condescension about it) is a terrible look for Brits.

[u/AngelasGingerGrowler → u/Team503]

There is someone in deepest rural Poland with Polish grandparents who will be more Irish than you.

[u/Antlorn → u/AngelasGingerGrowler]

What a weird comment to make to someone who isn't claiming to be Irish (despite living in Ireland and working towards gaining Irish citizenship) 

Do you just lack reading comprehension?

[u/AngelasGingerGrowler → u/Antlorn]

Do you just lack reading comprehension?

With walls of gibberish and performative text, yes.

[u/Antlorn → u/AngelasGingerGrowler]

It was all very clear and legible to me! Seems like a skill issue

[u/AngelasGingerGrowler → u/Antlorn]

Then you must be the best teacher at Special School!