Nonce (slang)

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 cryptography.

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)^[1] , 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".^{[2] [3]}

Etymology

With regard to the word's origin, the Oxford English Dictionary, 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.^{[citation needed]}

Or "perhaps compare English regional nonse good-for-nothing fellow" with reference to a documented dialectical use in Lincolnshire.^[4] 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.^[2].

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".^{[5] [6]} Occasionally, and with reference to Nonce word, it is sometimes used to indicate a person of only the most ephemeral appeal.

References

1. ^ "Introduction to Prisons". http://evilcity.wikispaces.com/Introduction+to+Prisons. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "LISTSERV Discussion of origins of 'nonce'". http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0506a&L=ads-l&D=0&P=6698. 
3. ^ "'Nonce' on Everything2". http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=287124. 
4. ^ Oxford English Dictionary Online, s.v. nonce, n.².
5. ^ "London Slang". http://www.londonslang.com/db/n/. 
6. ^ "Peevish Slang Dictionary". http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/n.htm. 

External links

• The Sweeney dictionary
• Discussion of the origin of nonce (slang)