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In February 2009, [[Bono]] called [[Chris Martin]] a wanker live on air during [[Jo Whiley]]'s [[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1]] show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bono Calls Chris Martin A Wanker|publisher=Music-News.com|url=http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=24741|accessdate=2009-03-01}}</ref>
In February 2009, [[Bono]] called [[Chris Martin]] a wanker live on air during [[Jo Whiley]]'s [[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1]] show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bono Calls Chris Martin A Wanker|publisher=Music-News.com|url=http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=24741|accessdate=2009-03-01}}</ref>


In March 2011 [[Fred Goodwin]] obtained a [[super injunction]] preventing anyone in the UK from, among other things, revealing that he was a [[banker]]. The science fiction writer [[Charlie Stross]] responded by attempting to make Goodwin the top [[Google]] search result for Wanker.
In March 2011 [[Fred Goodwin]] obtained a [[super injunction]] preventing anyone in the UK from, among other things, revealing that he was a [[banker]]. The science fiction writer [[Charlie Stross]] responded by attempting to make Goodwin the top [[Google]] search result for Wanker.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wanker|publisher=Charlie's Diary|url=http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/03/wanker.html|accessdate=2011-03-12}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 10:11, 12 March 2011

Not to be confused with Wanka (disambiguation).
This article is about the pejorative. For other uses, see Wanker (disambiguation).
Look up wanker in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wanker is a pejorative term of English origin, common in Commonwealth and ex-Commonwealth countries, including Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. It initially referred to an onanist but has since become a general insult. It is synonymous with tosser.

Meaning

The term wanker originated from British slang in the 1940s.[1] Wanker literally means "one who wanks (masturbates)". In modern usage it is usually a general insult. It conveys contempt, not commentary on sexual habits. Wanker has similar meanings and overtones to American pejoratives like jerk(-off).[2] One connotation, implying egotistical and self-indulgent behaviour (and more analogous to American douche(bag)[3]), is the dominant meaning in Australia and New Zealand.[4]

"Wanker" hand gesture

Wanker may be indicated by a one-handed gesture,[5] usually to an audience out of hearing range.[2] 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, which is equivalent to saying, "[you are a] wanker".

In the United States, the term is understood, but seldom used, and then more in a way suggesting the target is an idiot or moron. [6]

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.[7] The BBC describes it as 'moderately offensive' and 'almost certain' to generate complaints if used before the watershed.[8]

In Australia it is considered mildly offensive but is widely accepted and used in the media.[9]

Mary Cresswell, an American etymologist, describes 'wanker' as "somewhat more offensive in British use than Americans typically realize".[10] The word was used twice to comic effect in the Simpsons episode "Trash of the Titans", which caused no offence to American audiences, but prompted complaints on occasions when the episode was broadcast unedited in the United Kingdom.[11]

"The Winker's Song (Misprint)" by Ivor Biggun is one of many songs about masturbation. It describes the singer: "I'm a wanker, I'm a wanker. And it does me good like it bloody well should", and it reached number 22 in the 1978 UK charts. It was banned by BBC Radio 1.[12] [dead link]

Phil Collins used the word in his 1984 cameo appearance on Miami Vice and has sometimes been credited with introducing the word to America.[13]

On the British television quiz show Countdown, 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), but has been shown as an outtake on other shows.[14] However, on a later occasion, 'wanker' was offered, and this instance was left in and broadcast unedited.

The comedy show Mork & Mindy featured a character called 'Mr Wanker' who was Mindy's landlord.[15] This was broadcast on American TV and later British TV.

In February 2009, Bono called Chris Martin a wanker live on air during Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show.[16]

In March 2011 Fred Goodwin obtained a super injunction preventing anyone in the UK from, among other things, revealing that he was a banker. The science fiction writer Charlie Stross responded by attempting to make Goodwin the top Google search result for Wanker.[17]

References

  1. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary
  2. ^ a b Etherington, Mike: The very Best of British The American's guide to speaking British
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Ludowyk, Frederick: Anatomy of Swearing
  5. ^ How to make a Wanker gesture and how not to make it
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ "Delete expletives?" (PDF). Advertising Standards Authority. Retrieved January 6, 2007. (pdf)
  8. ^ BBC - Editorial guidelines, definition of offensive language . Retrieved 2007-01-20. [dead link]
  9. ^ Karen Stollznow, 2004. Whinger! Wowser! Wanker! Aussie English: Deprecatory language and the Australian ethos. In Christo Moskovsky (ed), Proceedings of the 2003 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society
  10. ^ Cresswell, Mary. "Word Of The Day: November 19, 1996".
  11. ^ Dowell, Ben (2008-06-09). "The Simpsons: Channel 4 apologises for pre-watershed swearing". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  12. ^ yearsofgold.org.uk
  13. ^ Phil Collins interview, Playboy magazine October 1986
  14. ^ snopes.com: Countdown
  15. ^ Mork & Mindy (TV). USA: Henderson Production Company.
  16. ^ "Bono Calls Chris Martin A Wanker". Music-News.com. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  17. ^ "Wanker". Charlie's Diary. Retrieved 2011-03-12.

Further reading

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