Post #334266 by RevBambooBen on Sat, Sep 22, 2007 5:46 PM

Wanker is a pejorative term of British origin, common in Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and British-influenced territories like South Africa, and gaining usage in Canada and the United States. It initially referred to "one who masturbates" but has since become a general insult. It is synonymous with tosser and toss-pot. In parts of the UK the word 'tosser' and its other forms have become so widespread that it isn't generally regarded as a swear word and is socially acceptable in general conversation.

Contents [hide]
1 Meaning
2 Wanker in other contexts
3 Usage
4 References
5 Further reading

[edit] Meaning
Wanker literally means" "one who wanks"(masturbates). It is normally intended as a general insult rather than as an accusation. Wanker has similar meanings and overtones to American pejoratives like "jerk",[1]"jerk-off", and "prick". One particular connotation is of someone self-obsessed or a show-off (usually male).[2]

The term "wanker" originated from British slang in the 1940s, based on the verb "wank".[3] By the 1970s, the general meaning of wanker had shifted from its literal origin (as a masturbator) to that of a generic insult;[4] for example, "a contemptible person". This shift in usage is comparable to that of "dick" or "jerk." A common use is in the chant "The Referee's a Wanker", or "Who's the wanker in the black?", used by football supporters to express disapproval towards a referee.

The word has developed a metaphorical usage, in which to wank or to be a wanker implies egotistical and self-indulgent behaviour. This is the dominant meaning in Australia.[5] It can be used in this sense in other reasons but it is also used as a more general insult. This meaning is used in phrases like smug wanker, egotistical wanker or pretentious wanker.[6] Wanker is sometimes used to refer to a person in the same way as snob for subjects perceived as pretentious; for instance, wine wanker, fashion wanker, car wanker.[7] This meaning is shown in Whatareya?, a song by TISM, which contrasts "yobs" (uncouth working class) to "wankers" (which according to the context means pretentious intellectuals). In the United States the current usage of the term is more in reference to the person being an idiot or moron, as opposed to the standard dick or jerk synonym in other countries.

The wanker gestureWanker may be indicated by a one-handed gesture, usually to an audience out of hearing range.[8] It is shown by curling the fingers of the hand into a loose fist and moving the hand back and forth to mime male masturbation. This is equivalent to saying, "[you are a] wanker". Some motorists show the wanking gesture in front of the rear-view mirror, where other motorists from behind can see the gesture.

Wanker is the centre of a popular story regarding the TV quiz show Countdown in which contestants have to form the longest word possible from nine randomly selected letters. On one occasion the letters permitted the spelling of 'wanker' (or 'wankers') and both contestants replied with the word, leading one to quip "we've got a pair of wankers." The sequence was edited out of the show (as is common with risqué words, although the spelling of 'erection' was permitted) but has been shown as an outtake on other shows.[9]

'The Winker's Song (Misprint)' by Ivor Biggun is one of many songs about masturbation. It humorously describes the singer's masturbation exploits: "I'm a wanker, I'm a wanker. And it does me good like it bloody well should." It reached number 22 in the UK charts despite being banned by BBC Radio 1.[10]

[edit] Wanker in other contexts
Wanker is also a German surname; according to the 1990 census, "Wanker" is the 53,492nd most common surname in the United States.[11] Several American TV shows have used this surname, either referring to or in ignorance of its other meaning. The sitcom Married... with Children featured a character whose maiden name was Wanker, who was from a fictitious Wanker county in Wisconsin. An episode of Mork & Mindy featured a character called Arnold Wanker and aired unedited on UK television. An inept stuntman in the Australian Paul Hogan Show was called Leo Wanker, a double entendre playing on a local impression of Leo (the Starsign) – egotistical and self-indulgent, with the equivalent in the Australian sense of a Wanker – self-indulgent and egotistical.

Wanker can also have other meanings, depending on context. Some American college students use it as a slang term for penis. This usage implies that the purpose of the penis is for masturbation[12]

[edit] Usage
In December 2000, research published by the Advertising Standards Authority into attitudes of the British public to pejoratives ranked wanker as the fourth most severe pejorative in English.[13] The BBC describes it as 'moderately offensive' and 'almost certain' to generate complaints if used before the watershed.[14] In Australia it is considered mildly offensive but is widely accepted and used in the media.[15] Big Brother UK 2006 winner, Pete Bennett, who has Tourette syndrome uses the word "Wankers" in the majority of his verbal tics.