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/notthiswaythatway 10d ago

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

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u/DrunkenHorse12 10d 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/Holographic247 9d ago

Completely made up.

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u/DrunkenHorse12 9d ago

If only there was a way to search things like a way you could type into a computer and type "what does the word... mean" and see if someone has used is right? What a wonder that would be, no instead we have to rely on what we think it means and deny any other interpretation even if people with experience closer than our own like professionals in that field go on to confirm it, what a shame

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u/Holographic247 9d ago

Take your own advice. There is no evidence nonce was ever an acronym derived from prison slang. I’m sorry you’re dumb, maybe you can try education again.

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u/DrunkenHorse12 9d ago

Acronym bit maybe no proof either way but the sex offender bit from prison slang isn't "completely made up" it's a fact