Nonce (slang)
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
and Australia
, the term nonce (alternately spelled "nonse") is a slang
word used to refer to a sex offender
and/or child sexual abuser. Although the term traditionally referred specifically to sex offenders, it has now become a more general term of abuse and is approximately synonymous with "idiot".[5] [6] This is not to be confused with the other meaning of "nonce" as in Nonce word
or its use in describing someone who emigrates to Australia.
, the rule that enables the segregation of vulnerable prisoners from the other prisoners for their own safety. The Rule 45 section of British prisons in which sex offenders are segregated (also known as going on 'The Numbers' or, in rhyming slang, 'The Cucumbers') is often referred to as the "nonce wing".
, while describing the word's etymology as "Origin unknown", states that the word is "perhaps related to" nance and cites a quotation which claims the word was derived from nancy-boy (a derogatory term referring to effeminate or homosexual males).
Another theory is that the word is an acronym standing for "Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise", which was chalked on the door of an offenders cell in order to instruct the guards not to allow the occupants to mix with others at recreation times for fear of physical vigilantism against sex-offenders.
Or "perhaps compare English regional nonse good-for-nothing fellow" with reference to a documented dialectical use in Lincolnshire. The word has also been suggested to be derived from nonsense; linguist Jonathon Green
cites a reference from 1970 citing "nonces" as being short for "nonsenses" and an additional cite from 1999..
Occasionally, and with reference to Nonce word
, it is sometimes used to indicate a person of only the most ephemeral
appeal.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the term nonce (alternately spelled "nonse") is a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
word used to refer to a sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
and/or child sexual abuser. Although the term traditionally referred specifically to sex offenders, it has now become a more general term of abuse and is approximately synonymous with "idiot".[5] [6] This is not to be confused with the other meaning of "nonce" as in Nonce word
Nonce word
A nonce word is a word used only "for the nonce"—to meet a need that is not expected to recur. Quark, for example, was formerly a nonce word in English, appearing only in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Murray Gell-Mann then adopted it to name a new class of subatomic particle...
or its use in describing someone who emigrates to Australia.
Usage in English prisons
Nonce first came into widespread use in UK prisons, where it is primarily used by prisoners to refer to convicted sex offenders, especially abusers of children. "Nonces" are traditionally targets of physical abuse from their prison inmates, and so usually go on Rule 45 (formerly Rule 43), the rule that enables the segregation of vulnerable prisoners from the other prisoners for their own safety. The Rule 45 section of British prisons in which sex offenders are segregated (also known as going on 'The Numbers' or, in rhyming slang, 'The Cucumbers') is often referred to as the "nonce wing".
Etymology
With regard to the word's origin, the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
, while describing the word's etymology as "Origin unknown", states that the word is "perhaps related to" nance and cites a quotation which claims the word was derived from nancy-boy (a derogatory term referring to effeminate or homosexual males).
Another theory is that the word is an acronym standing for "Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise", which was chalked on the door of an offenders cell in order to instruct the guards not to allow the occupants to mix with others at recreation times for fear of physical vigilantism against sex-offenders.
Or "perhaps compare English regional nonse good-for-nothing fellow" with reference to a documented dialectical use in Lincolnshire. The word has also been suggested to be derived from nonsense; linguist Jonathon Green
Jonathon Green
Jonathon Green is a British lexicographer of slang and writer on the history of alternative cultures...
cites a reference from 1970 citing "nonces" as being short for "nonsenses" and an additional cite from 1999..
Other slang uses
In recent years the slang term nonce has come into more widespread use in English-speaking countries. Although the term traditionally referred specifically to sex offenders, it has now become a more general term of abuse and is approximately synonymous with "idiot".Occasionally, and with reference to Nonce word
Nonce word
A nonce word is a word used only "for the nonce"—to meet a need that is not expected to recur. Quark, for example, was formerly a nonce word in English, appearing only in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Murray Gell-Mann then adopted it to name a new class of subatomic particle...
, it is sometimes used to indicate a person of only the most ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
appeal.