# Use of "berk" (UK Dopers please chime in) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799 "2014-05-06T11:15:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/1 "2014-05-06T11:15:14Z")
Glancing through the BBC news this morning, I came across [this article](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-27290945) about an escaped criminal - Michael Wheatley - a violent fellow who had been serving a life sentence yet was being held most recently in an “open prison” from which he easily absconded. He had been allowed “out” and never returned. A British MP is quoted in the article as saying, “whoever had allowed Wheatley out of prison was ‘a berk’.” Given that “berk” was used by an MP, and was not ‘blacked out’ by the BBC, I assume the word is not considered overly vulgar. On the other hand, [its etymology is said to derive from _Berkshire Hunt_](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/berk), i.e. rhyming slang for cunt. Colour me surprised. So, I ask - are people generally aware of berk’s origin? Would you use ‘berk’ when speaking to a stranger? Your teacher? Your children? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/2 "2014-05-06T11:31:10Z")
As with many Cockney terms, this one originated some decades ago (30s? 40s? 50s?). The word has therefore become less and less insulting with time. So back in the days it was probably extremely insulting, but now it’s not such a big deal as its origin has been largely forgotten. [There was a thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=622682) about this same word (spelt differently in the OP) some time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/3 "2014-05-06T11:32:12Z")
I’ve heard the same origin, despite its link with the Everest of offensive language the term itself is pretty mild, along the lines of ‘prat’ or ‘pillock’. Not sure what what its US equivalent would be (somewhere around the lines of ‘jackass’ probably), but it’s definitely below the level of a curse word. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/4 "2014-05-06T11:41:55Z")
Most people have no idea where it comes from. My Dad, for example. He has always used it but no other bad words really pass his lips beside “bloody”. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/5 "2014-05-06T11:47:18Z")
Notice your link just describes it as ‘informal’, rather than ‘vulgar slang’ or offensive. It’s an odd one, even as Cockney rhyming slang goes, as Berkshire is pronounced pretty much as ‘Barkshire’, and berk is closer to (and is occasionally spelled) ‘burk’. The connection isn’t obvious at all, which is possibly partially why it’s not very offensive. It’s somewhat old fashioned now anyway, I’m not sure when I last heard it in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/6 "2014-05-06T11:48:49Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I’ve heard the same origin, despite its link with the Everest of offensive language the term itself is pretty mild, along the lines of ‘prat’ or ‘pillock’. Not sure what what its US equivalent would be (somewhere around the lines of ‘jackass’ probably), but it’s definitely below the level of a curse word. I’d actually put it lower than \*prat \*or _pillock_, on the basis that as a child I would have been told off for using those words, but not _berk_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/7 "2014-05-06T11:56:43Z")
Indeed, it is pretty mild. Something akin to ‘idiot’. Words often lose their connection with their origins. Larking around was once a very rude activity indeed. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/8 "2014-05-06T12:05:38Z")
Its in Australian slang, berko means crazy . ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/9 "2014-05-06T12:08:43Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I’d actually put it lower than \*prat \*or _pillock_, on the basis that as a child I would have been told off for using those words, but not _berk_. 😃 Totally agree, to me it’s like calling someone a ‘twit’. I can’t imagine anyone much younger than my Dad using it though. It’s one of those words people use(d) when they didn’t want to swear, like saying ‘blinkin’ instead of ‘bloody’. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/10 "2014-05-06T12:20:20Z")
It can’t be that rude a word, since it’s also the name of the protagonist of [a beloved children’s television program](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trap_Door). ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/11 "2014-05-06T12:21:27Z")
Extremely mild. It’s just a slang term for idiot. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/12 "2014-05-06T12:36:35Z")
Fucked if I know why a politician would use it. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/13 "2014-05-06T12:53:14Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I’ve heard the same origin, despite its link with the Everest of offensive language the term itself is pretty mild, along the lines of ‘prat’ or ‘pillock’. It’s only the “Everest of offensive language” in the States. Elsewhere in the English-speaking word, the c-word is much less offensive, and more widely used. And, oddly, more often applied to men or inanimate objects than women. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/14 "2014-05-06T13:01:14Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > It’s only the “Everest of offensive language” in the States. Elsewhere in the English-speaking word, the c-word is much less offensive, and more widely used. And, oddly, more often applied to men or inanimate objects than women. In the UK I can’t think of many other words more offensive, with the exception of racial epithets. Of conventional [curse words](http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/21/broadcasting.uknews) (note that berk does not even merit a mention on that list) it’s certainly seen as very high in severity, if not number one. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/15 "2014-05-06T13:06:26Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > In the UK I can’t think of many other words more offensive, with the exception of racial epithets. Of conventional [curse words](http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/21/broadcasting.uknews) (note that berk does not even merit a mention on that list) it’s certainly seen as very high in severity, if not number one. If cunt is not No 1 - what is? Not including the racially offensive descriptors discussed elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![onepommie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9f8e36/32.png) [@onepommie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/onepommie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/16 "2014-05-06T13:10:09Z")
For your info berk =berkshire hunt,cockney rhyming slang for cunt ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/17 "2014-05-06T13:11:15Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > If cunt is not No 1 - what is? Not including the racially offensive descriptors discussed elsewhere. Yeah, I’d say for the majority it would be number 1 too (hence my confusion at **BrotherCadfael** ’s post, but depending on the audience I could see maybe a homophobic or disability slur causing more upset. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/18 "2014-05-06T13:15:56Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > In the UK I can’t think of many other words more offensive, with the exception of racial epithets. Of conventional [curse words](http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/21/broadcasting.uknews) (note that berk does not even merit a mention on that list) it’s certainly seen as very high in severity, if not number one. Yes. It doesn’t seem to be as offensive as it is in the US, but it’s still our most offensive word. Still, the etymology of berk is now pretty much disconnected from the rhyming slang origins, so it’s nothing like saying c\*nt (bowlderised for the sake of nanny filters). It even has a different meaning. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/19 "2014-05-06T13:23:39Z")
Wow - thanks to all for your responses! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799/20 "2014-05-06T13:53:07Z")
It’s one of those little inconsistencies - rather like how “bugger off” is less offensive than “fuck off” despite the probably more taboo nature of the activity described in the first of these. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-berk-uk-dopers-please-chime-in/687799.md?page=2)