Wanker

Wanker is slang for "one who wanks (masturbates)", but is most often used as a general insult. It is a pejorative term of English origin common in Britain and other parts of the English-speaking world (mainly Commonwealth nations), including Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It initially referred to an " onanist" and is synonymous with the word ''tosser''.

Meaning

The terms ''wank'' and ''wanker'' originated in British slang during the late 19th and early 20th century.A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: Colloquialisms and Catch Phrases, Fossilised Jokes and Puns, General Nicknames, Vulgarisms and Such Americanisms As Have Been Naturalised. Eric Partridge, Paul Beale. Routledge, 15 Nov 2002 In modern usage it is usually a general term of contempt rather than a commentary on sexual habits. ''Wanker'' has similar meanings and overtones to American pejoratives like ''jerk'' or ''jerk-off''.Etherington, Mike
The very Best of British The American's guide to speaking British
/ref> More generally, ''wanker'' can carry suggestions of egotistical and self-indulgent behaviour and this is the dominant meaning in Australia and New Zealand.

''Wanker'' may be indicated by a one-handed gesture, usually to an audience out of hearing range. It is performed by curling the fingers of the hand into a loose fist and moving the hand back and forth to mime male masturbation, which is equivalent to saying, "that person is a wanker".

In the United States, the term is understood but rarely used.

Related are terms such as "wanker's colic", for an undiagnosed visceral pain, and "wanker's doom", for excessive masturbation, from slang used in the RAF and British prisons since the 1920s.

Differences in perceived levels of offensiveness

In December 2000, the Advertising Standards Authority published research on attitudes of the British public to pejoratives. It ranked ''wanker'' as the fourth most severe pejorative in English. The BBC
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