The verb “plonk” is attested from the later 19th century, meaning to hit or strike with a heavy thud, or to drop something with a thud. It’s probably onomatopoeic in origin. From this we get “plonker”, something large or substantial, especially a large or substantial example of it’s kind. (“That turnip’s a plonker!”). During the Great War, “plonker” is military slang for an artillery shell, and the verb “to plonk” means “to shell”.
In the 1920s “plonker” appears as slang for a penis. Whether this is from plonk, to hit or strike, or from plonker, a shell, referring to the shape of the penis, is anyone’s guess. It’s less likely to be from plonker, something large or substantial, since from the outset it seems to be a derogatory slang term for penis. (“All you’re good for is pulling your plonker!”)
It’s not until the 1980s that it turns up in what is now the predominant sense; someone who is stupid, contemptible or inept. Presumably it acquires this sense in the same way that “dick”, “prick” and “tool” acquired it. Unlike dicks, pricks and tools, however, I think plonkers can be female.
As to wazzock, I’ve always understood it to be a plonker who thinks that they’re great.
Plonkers generally admit their plonkitude when confronted with it.
" why did you do that? You plonker!"
Embarrassed shrug. Plonker.
" why did you do that? You plonker!"
No, I was right because…stupid reasons. Wazzock.
As in the long-running comedy Only Fools and Horses, in which older brother Del Boy (a street trader in hooky goods who fancies himself as a Thatcherite entrepreneur, with farcical results) is constantly calling his less streetwise younger brother Rodney a plonker. When he’s not calling him a dipstick.
I am only familiar with the term “wazzock” from the Emmerdale soap. IIRC one of the Dingles was forever being referred to as a “great big wazzock” by his father.
A plonker is someone who is dull-witted, inept and or naive, though not necessarily unlikeable. Because of “Only Fools and Horses”, which has/had a popularity in England that few other TV shows could get close to, the archetypal plonker would be the Rodney character. Though Rodney was not by any means always dull-witted, inept or naive, but whenever he was his brother Del Boy, who certainly had his own foibles, would be sure to call him a plonker.
Wozzeck is a character in an opera of the same name. He’s a hapless character whose wife cuckolds him with Wozzeck’s superior officer in the army. He can’t get his life together and becomes a laughing stock in his village for his ineptness. It may be that the MP was using his name as a reference to an inept character, e.g. Trump.
Seriously, if used in everyday speech, it is considered offensive as it refers to nothing but the act of pleasuring oneself. Not a word to use in polite company.
Hopefully a countryman will come along to confirm.
As a Brit I totally refute this. It would be offensive in polite company but it is still used as a general insult, and not just to mean someone who masturbates. “Wanker” is widely used for a foolish or unpleasant person.
Not a Brit, but I’ve spent time there. I concur with MarcusF. “Wanker” wouldn’t be used in polite company for the same reason as “fucker” wouldn’t be. But, just like “fucker” doesn’t refer exclusively or even predominantly to one who has sex, so “wanker” doesn’t necessarily, or usually, refer to one who masturbates. They are both employed as general terms of abuse.
I don’t think so. I’ve spent time both in the UK and in Australia. My impression is that in Australia the word is less shocking and is more socially acceptable, and is more widely used. But in both places it’s predominantly used in the general abusive sense. The sense which refers to actual masturbation is definitely the secondary sense, in terms of frequency of use.
See also ‘tosser’. Though ‘wanker’ would be roughly equivalent to ‘asshole’, ‘wazzock’ is a (far far milder) dumbass.
To clarify, wazzock and wanker aren’t in the same league as far as insults go, it’s something that you might hear in kids playgrounds along the same lines as ‘twit’.
You are misreading your own cite. It is absolutely clear from the article that in Britain “wanker” is used as a general insult, not just for someone who masturbates. Just look at the last example quoted from as recently as January 2015:
If the normal use of the word was not as a general insult there would be no point in the “literally” in this sentence. All the other examples from Britain and Ireland show the same meaning. There is a difference in how offensive it is between the UK and Australia - it is milder insult in the wild Antipodes - but the meaning is the same.
- but the meaning is the same.