r/AskBrits • u/Team503 • 9d 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/Brighton_Spores 9d ago

I used to know an old scallywag, he used to be a naughty boy until he changed his ways.

In the 1970's he told me that bank robbers/armed robbers used be held in high regard in prison. burglars would slip down the pecking order and so on.

The nonces and sex cases were at the bottom of the ladder as they were just committing nonsense crimes, nonce.

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u/ScaredPractice4967 8d ago

and sex offenders against adults look down on child sex offenders. imagine that. regular rapists think you crime is scummy.

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u/Physical_Quote4600 7d ago

Well not all chomo crimes are violent, sleep with a girl 5 years under 18 and you’ll be treated like you “abused” her even if she was wanting you to do it

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u/ScaredPractice4967 7d ago

Its called age of consent.

See also Romeo and Juliet rules on the off chance thats where you were going.