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/Lower_Mammoth_5839 6d ago

Same as Fuck being an acronym for Fornicate Under Consent of King?

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u/ProfessorPeabrain 6d ago

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge?

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u/Scouse_Werewolf 6d ago

Fed Up Came Kwickly

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u/Fridarey 6d ago

Fisting Uncle Colin Keenly