I watched the film "Closer" recently, and I was curious about the the word "wank," used by the English folks. It seemed to mean fantasize, in a sexual sense. Am I on the right track?

Not to lead you astray, Sunflower, but here's a track to follow in your search for meaning.

A "new meaning" for DIY (Do It Yourself) ??

I don't think any British person would use "wank" in the second sense given there. We would say "wanker" as a general insult. Some might also use "wank" as an adjective meaning something like "Not very good", "of poor quality".

Both wank and wanker would be considered offensive slang by most people here.

Those of us who know the term here in the States generally consider it offensive, too. Good question, Sun! Surely Asa knew this one?

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Originally posted by Caterwauller:
Those of us who know the term here in the States generally consider it offensive, too. Good question, Sun! Surely Asa knew this one?

Yes, he did, but he encouraged me to post it for my further enlightenment. And I HAVE been enlightened!

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A "new meaning" for DIY (Do It Yourself) ??

As we have often found, Jerry, the subtleties of English/American differences aren't in the dictionaries. Bob's discussion, for example, is very interesting. I believe that was what Sunflower was asking.

I found the following comment interesting from the dictionary.com listing, discussing wank as meaning "hack": "Usage: US only. In Britain and the Commonwealth this word is *extremely* rude and is best avoided unless one intends to give offense."

I loved the OED's remark about wank: "This word and its derivatives are not in polite use."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

While I DID suggest that Sunflower post it, I too was curious about just which meaning they meant in the film. One of the characters in the movie says something akin to, "What to you think about when you wank?" I assumed it meant "masturbate" in this case, but Sunflower thought "fantasize." We could, of course, both be correct, or both wrong. Any of you British see the movie? Very well done, but not plesaant to watch, IMHO.

Jerry's link also gives another possibility: In the movie, a man pretends to be a woman in an e-mail exchange, and sets up the man on the other end of the conversation with a woman whom he had met. Does this count as "wanking?"

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I loved the OED's remark about wank: "This word and its derivatives are not in polite use."

Although the word might not be common, I suspect that the practice surely is.

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Although the word might not be common

In the UK, the word is common in both senses.

'Wanker' as a general term of opprobrium, is often used with a meaning similar to the American 'jerk'. Curious as to whether there was any connection between the two, I found

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1935, "tedious and ineffectual person," Amer.Eng. carnival slang, perhaps from jerkwater town (1878), where a steam locomotive crew had to take on boiler water from a trough or a creek because there was no water tank. This led 1890s to an adj. use of jerk as "inferior, insignificant." Probably also infl. by verb jerk off, slang for "perform male masturbation" (first recorded 1916). Jerk off (n.) as an emphatic form of jerk (n.) first attested 1968.

See The Online Etymology Dictionary.

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Originally posted by Asa Lovejoy:
One of the characters in the movie says something akin to, "What to you think about when you wank?" I assumed it meant "masturbate" in this case, but Sunflower thought "fantasize." We could, of course, both be correct, or both wrong. Any of you British see the movie? Very well done, but not plesaant to watch, IMHO.

I believe the two emailed to each other, "What U wank?" and then described their sexual fantasies. Since it couldn't be translated literally ("what you masturbate?"), I assumed the meaning included a reference to fantasizing.

the traditional meaning is masturbate, but maybe this is changing...
or maybe it was the text speak that confused things!
eg someone might say 'what you eat?' meaning what did you eat for dinner...so in the film, maybe it meant 'what did/do you wank about?'

Maybe? x

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I believe the two emailed to each other, "What U wank?" and then described their sexual fantasies. Since it couldn't be translated literally ("what you masturbate?"), I assumed the meaning included a reference to fantasizing.

It does - and frig is the female equivalent. In British slang to call someone a wanker implies that they are stupid, incompetent and useless and is thus extremely offensive.

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'Wanker' as a general term of opprobrium, is often used with a meaning similar to the American 'jerk'.

So, if I were to call someone a 'wanker' in England, it would be like calling him a 'jerk' here?

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Originally posted by Dianthus:
- and frig is the female equivalent. In British slang to call someone a wanker implies that they are stupid, incompetent and useless and is thus extremely offensive.

In the US, "R" rated movies are edited for TV by changing the word "f**king" to "frigging." Interesting!

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So, if I were to call someone a 'wanker' in England, it would be like calling him a 'jerk' here?

I think 'wanker' scores more asterisks (or whatever) in most dictionaries' offensive scales than 'jerk'. At least it does over here: the latter wouldn't raise many - if any - eyebrows, even if said in the classroom, but try saying the former in the same situation...

Sunflower, could the message in Closer have been "What U wank 2?". I've seen it, but my memory isn't good enough to capture screenshots, unfortunately. I agree Asa that it's not easy to watch, and is a pretty pessimistic view of relationships. One can console oneself with the thought that one is nowhere near as screwed up as the four main characters, however!

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
So, if I were to call someone a 'wanker' in England, it would be like calling him a 'jerk' here?

Similar, yes. I think the British word is more insulting, though.

Sounds to me like "wanker" should not be compared with "jerk" but more with "dickhead". It's got an offensiveness to it that jerk doesn't really have.

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Originally posted by Cat:.

Sunflower, could the message in Closer have been "What U wank 2?". I've seen it, but my memory isn't good enough to capture screenshots, unfortunately. I agree Asa that it's not easy to watch, and is a pretty pessimistic view of relationships. One can console oneself with the thought that one is nowhere near as screwed up as the four main characters, however!

Yes, Cat, it's possible that the exact phrase was "What U wank 2?"

I like your assessment of the movie!

As I've mentioned elsewhere in times past, there's a place south of where I live that's called "Wankers Corners." Its main attraction is a tavern, so it may be well-named.

Now, Asa, remember, there are some beer lovers on this board. A tavern being the main attraction doesn't have to be a bad thing...unless of course it doesn't have cask conditioned beer!

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Sounds to me like "wanker" should not be compared with "jerk" but more with "dickhead". It's got an offensiveness to it that jerk doesn't really have.

You are right, CW, "jerk" has a completely different meaning than "dickhead," the latter being much more insulting. I have just never heard anyone called a "wanker." Heck, it could mean sweet, lovable and kind as far as I'm concerned.

Wanker's Corner

(Edited to correct apostrophe placement)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jerry thomas,

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Now, Asa, remember, there are some beer lovers on this board. A tavern being the main attraction doesn't have to be a bad thing...unless of course it doesn't have cask conditioned beer!

Kalleh, I'll have you know that I have consumed beer myself - at least twenty times or so! Oh, good job, Jerry! I'd never thought to look them up.

I see they speak of their Outback Ale as: "...This hand crafted brew is tawny in colour, has a fresh roasted aroma, with a delicate flavor and a smooth finish...."

I don't care for the words "delicate" or "smooth" in descriptions of beer since they tend to be euphemisms for "flavourless" and "bland". But I could be doing them a disservice. But were it to be a cask-conditioned beer then I reckong they'd have mentioned it.

Their bottled beer range, by the way, is the same as the range in most other US bars - terrible.

I know it's a solitary pastime but is the corner in question really for just one wanker or can they all visit?

Well, the place is called 'Wanker's Corner', which, because of the placement of the apostrophe, would seem to to indicate a single wanker.

What amused me particularly about the site was the final paragraph (my emphasis):

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More than 30,000 pounds of goobers (that's peanuts to you) are consumed annually at Wanker's Corner Saloon & Cafe. So if you feel like it, grab your nuts here. They're free.

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So if you feel like it, grab your nuts here.

Yes. I spotted that. I have to assume that, as seems to be the case with "wanker", the offensive meaning of the word "nuts" is also lost on the Americans.

I think you're doing the writer a disservice. That has to have been intentional.

We'd like to suggest that the meaning of the word "nuts," like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Wank and file meanings, offensive or not, might also be held in the mind ... or the hand ... of the beholder.

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I think you're doing the writer a disservice. That has to have been intentional.

Don't misunderstand me; I think the writer knew very well the meanings of the terms; I just wondered whether the American public did.

After all, we in the UK are rather less prudish about sexual matters than the Americans but I doubt you'd get planning permission to open a bar called "wankers" in London.

I think nearly all Americans would catch the crude nature and meaning of the word "nuts".

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(Edited to correct apostrophe placement)

Interesting, if you look at their sign on that Web site, there is no apostrophe. The apostrophe only appears in the writing. I think they meant it to be without an apostrophe. I almost hate to ask this, but aren't there 2 schools of thought on whether an apostrophe is needed in that circumstance? Don't some consider it an adjective? I am probably all wet and will get a real lecture here!

CW, I think if you delete the word "nearly," you'd be correct. The word "nuts" has now gone the way of "weiner" and "gay." When Americans are speaking of "nuts" that you eat, they say "walnuts" or "peanuts," or whatever.

You are probably correct, Kalleh.

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I think 'wanker' scores more asterisks (or whatever) in most dictionaries' offensive scales than 'jerk'. At least it does over here: the latter wouldn't raise many - if any - eyebrows, even if said in the classroom, but try saying the former in the same situation...

One of my American friends was once told that the last line of the Beatles' hit Lovely Rita was "Give us a wank and make me think of you."

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One of my American friends was once told that the last line of the Beatles' hit Lovely Rita was "Give us a wank and make me think of you."

Ummmm, I think your American friend was awfully gullible!

If any of you wish to visit Wankers Corners, let me know - I'm only fourteen miles from it. BTW, the above is how it appears on maps - no apostrophe. Thus one may deduce that the local cartographers assume more than one wanker in the corner.

Kalleh, for a refresher on apostrophes I suggest you read the APS forum FAQ.

For what it's worth, I feel pretty sure that the author was well aware of what he was writing; whether the majority of his readers got the reference I cannot say.

It may be that I have a dirty mind. In the junior Wordcraft forum one girl posted the following joke:

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Why did the boy scout get kicked out?
He was caught eating a brownie!

I was in two minds about deleting the joke, but I thought that not everyone has a dirty mind like me, and it stood up well enough on a 'clean' level. Explaining why I deleted it, also, might have led to worse problems...

I should add that I'm sure that the girl who posted the joke was unaware of any secondary meaning.

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[QUOTE]Why did the boy scout get kicked out?
He was caught eating a brownie!

Ah, the wonders of double entendre! Around here using "nuts" to describe testicles is universally known, whereas I doubt that one in ten know the British implication of "wanker."

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If any of you wish to visit Wankers Corners, let me know

I do!

As to apostrophes (as hackneyed as they have become here), I just had to share with you the headlines of the Chicago Tribune Sports page today: "Mind your P's and Q's and IOU's." Again, we have discussed that before. I do think Americans love apostrophes more than the British do.

BTW, the above is how it appears on maps - no apostrophe. Thus one may deduce that the local cartographers assume more than one wanker in the corner.

Of course, the sign could read "Wankers' Corner."

I should add that I'm sure that the girl who posted the joke was unaware of any secondary meaning.

Maybe, Arnie, and maybe not. I have found the youth much more aware of those kinds of meanings than I ever was (or even still am!).

I am doing a theme on wordcraftjr about British and American differences in words. It has been fascinating. I went to a "British Phrase" book in the bookstore last night and found so many differences in terminology that I had never heard of. Feel free to access the site and read about some of them, like "twitcher" or "agony aunt" or "filter" (with a meaning that I doubt any Americans here use). Of course, I have no idea about the reliability of the book, though with Doad and Arnie there, I am sure I will find out!

One entry said that "tosser" was the British equivalent of "wanker" or "jerk." After the discussion of "wanker" relative to "jerk" here, I am now wondering about the reliability of that book! I haven't heard of "tosser."

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One entry said that "tosser" was the British equivalent of "wanker" or "jerk."

That's just about right.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
I am doing a theme on wordcraftjr about British and American differences in words. It has been fascinating. I went to a "British Phrase" book in the bookstore last night and found so many differences in terminology that I had never heard of. Feel free to access the site and read about some of them, like "twitcher" or "agony aunt" or "filter" (with a meaning that I doubt any Americans here use). Of course, I have no idea about the reliability of the book, though with Doad and Arnie there, I am sure I will find out!

A "twitcher" is a bird watcher (feathered, not human female, variety). Not just any old bird watcher, but an "anorak" who literally drops everything and dashes off to the other end of the country at the news of a sighting of some rare bird so they can check it off in their little notebooks. An "anorak" is someone who is passionate about some hobby which most people would consider terribly dull, like hanging around at railway stations collecting identification numbers from locomotives (probably comes from the anoraks - long hooded jackets - that they normally wear). Most anoraks are usually armed with notebook and pen because it's the checking off of sightings, almost more than the actual bird, or engine, or whatever, that interests them.

An "agony aunt" is someone who runs an advice column in a magazine or newspaper for people who have problems with their love lives and similar things.

What meaning of "filter" did they give in that book?

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One entry said that "tosser" was the British equivalent of "wanker" or "jerk." After the discussion of "wanker" relative to "jerk" here, I am now wondering about the reliability of that book! I haven't heard of "tosser."

The book is absolutely correct.

I think "wanker" is more equivalent to " jerk-off " than to "jerk."

I don't know why there is no apostrophe in Wankers Corner, but I wouldn't read too much into it. It seems to me there is a tendancy to drop apostrophes in place names. I don't know why and I wish it weren't so.

Tinman

More new vocabulary for me. I didn't know that jerk-off could be used as a noun.

Incidentally tosser should not be confused with tosspot. Although many people seem to think they are the same the latter means "drunkard".

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What meaning of "filter" did they give in that book?

Well, I must have read it wrong. I took it to mean a left turn arrow, though Doad tells me it is when 2 lanes "filter" into one. If I understand Doad correctly (and I may not), we would call it a "merge" lane.

In my book, I was confused with "vet." They said that "vet" means to "check something out." They said that it comes from "veterinarian." That seemed odd to me.

Lastly, the reason I was baffled about the book saying the word was "tosser" in England and "wanker" or "jerk" in the U.S. is because I thought "wanker" was more a British word than a U.S. word. Is it?

The green arrow appears on traffic lights when you may only proceed in one direction, that of the arrow. If the arrow points straight ahead there can be no left or right turns; if to the left, all traffic must turn left.

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They said that "vet" means to "check something out." They said that it comes from "veterinarian." That seemed odd to me.

That's right. That's right. the colloquial sense of "subject to careful examination" (as of an animal by a veterinarian, especially of a horse before a race) is first attested 1904, in Kipling. See http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=vet

Your book appears to have got confused about 'wanker'. As we've discussed, it's a British word, synonymous with 'tosser'. It seems to be known, but not widely, in the US.

here in australia the word wanker is a soft insult, which i would rate as the equivalent of the american asshole. wank can be used to describe someone who talks with unfounded authority; 'sam was having a bit of a wank about the stock market to us'. also to do things to please one's self, especially at the expense of others; 'that wanker in the four-wheel drive is driving discordantly' (or words to that effect).

it's an odd thing that there should be no american equivalent. i guess that masturbation is more of a taboo subject in the US than the british commonwealth?

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History says that John and Dora Von Waunker came to the area known as Wanker’s Corner from German immigrant family background. John, born in 1825 and Dora, born in 1863 came to Oregon by wagon train from California. They reared seven children and put up a building where a thriving grocery store and tavern kept them busy on 50 acres. The change in name spelling came about when their children were born and they dropped the Von and the U and made it Wanker. Their son Jack, whose actual name was Lloyd, ran the business when the parents opted to slow down. A couple of gas pumps were added; then later, Bob and Ted Saarinen moved them across the street for a service station when legislation began to tighten on the dispensing of fuel. The two brothers operated the service station for 23 years.

http://www.positivelyentertainment.com/features/may2005/hipwaiters.html

so it was once the possession of a wanker, but now it belongs to every tom, dick and harry; the great american pubic.