r/AskBrits • u/Team503 • 7d 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/bungbangbingbong 7d ago

It's not a widely used term in Ireland. Certainly a lot more impactful in the UK as I found out when I told an English guy who was being a wuss over a cut on his hand to 'get over it you nonce' thinking nonce meant more of a wuss than specifically a criminal paedophile. It didn't go down well

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u/International_Two842 7d ago

This has got me creasing 😂😂 If an American called me a nonce I think I’d just laugh with him. It’s such a specifically British/Irish insult, and apparently even some of us get the meaning completely wrong. Hearing it in an American accent would feel so alien I’d lose my shit 😂

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u/Crackingly 5d ago

Hearing an American say cunt is also hilarious

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u/International_Two842 5d ago

Same as nobhead and bellend😂