# Why don't Americans Use Masturbator Epithets When Insulting Someone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716 "2016-07-23T21:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/21 "2016-07-24T12:59:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Huh? Jagoff isn’t from Chicago. It’s from [Pittsburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagoff). And it’s certainly alive and well around here. > I’ve also never heard of it being referred to as a euphemism for masturbation – it just means all around douchebag. In fact, most people don’t even consider it obscene. > > [Urban Dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jagoff) doesn’t mention Chicago either. “Jagoff” is certainly associated strongly with Chicago, as well as Pittsburgh. I’ve never heard it outside of people from those two places. It may have originated in Pittsburgh (which does seem to be the case), but it’s also a Chicago regionalism. [Here’s a little background on the word and its use in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and its possible etymologies.](http://www.lumpenmagazine.org/on-jagoffs/) Apparently, it’s not a mangling of the word “jerk-off,” which is what I’ve always assumed it was, and does not carry a sexual meaning. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/22 "2016-07-24T13:11:38Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > [Urban Dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jagoff) doesn’t mention Chicago either. Oh, missed this. Definition #8 does. As does the last definition. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/23 "2016-07-24T13:55:27Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Where do you live? There must be a lot of ex-pat Brits where you are. I live in CA now, but grew up in New England. Probably heard it more in NE than in CA and that would have been a few decade ago. I don’t think Americans automatically associate it with masturbation, though. More like “someone who has no idea what he’s doing”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/24 "2016-07-25T00:22:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > “Jagoff” is certainly associated strongly with Chicago, as well as Pittsburgh. I’ve never heard it outside of people from those two places. It may have originated in Pittsburgh (which does seem to be the case), but it’s also a Chicago regionalism. [Here’s a little background on the word and its use in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and its possible etymologies.](http://www.lumpenmagazine.org/on-jagoffs/) Apparently, it’s not a mangling of the word “jerk-off,” which is what I’ve always assumed it was, and does not carry a sexual meaning. Well, learn something new everyday I guess – I always thought it was a only a Burgh thing. (I’m guessing though you probably stole it from us. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/25 "2016-07-25T01:08:15Z")
Seeking to insult someone by designating them as a masturbator is kind of like caling someone an “air-breather”, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/26 "2016-07-25T01:12:29Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Seeking to insult someone by designating them as a masturbator is kind of like caling someone an “air-breather”, isn’t it? I think the implication is that the person is continuously hyperventilating, taking in rather more oxygen than is strictly necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/27 "2016-07-25T02:05:52Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Seeking to insult someone by designating them as a masturbator is kind of like caling someone an “air-breather”, isn’t it? I think the insult lies in the idea that the someone you’re insulting masturbates because no one else would touch them sexually. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/28 "2016-07-25T03:55:07Z")
In addition to the language uses, I certainly see hand gestures miming male masturbation all the time. I’ve always associated that usage with time wasting or meaningless bullshit being spewed by someone. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/29 "2016-07-25T04:24:41Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Seeking to insult someone by designating them as a masturbator is kind of like caling someone an “air-breather”, isn’t it? The idea is that the only kind of sex they have is masturbation. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/30 "2016-07-25T11:05:54Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > In addition to the language uses, I certainly see hand gestures miming male masturbation all the time. I’ve always associated that usage with time wasting or meaningless bullshit being spewed by someone. The hand gesture usually insinuates _self-indulgent_ time wasting or meaningless bullshit. I don’t think it’s directed at the merely stubborn or anxious. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716/31 "2016-07-25T11:37:09Z")
Ive used _wanker_ as an insult several times, but the effect is diluted when you have to explain the meaning of the term, then get caught up in a discussion of lifts, lollies, boots, and the like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-use-masturbator-epithets-when-insulting-someone/760716.md?page=1)