Hacker News Reader

crowds as far as the eye can see, waving the flag and chanting 'Oi! Trump! Wanker!'

Off topic: ~15 years ago a colleague stayed in a small town in Colorado where everyone seemed to use "wanker" as a term of endearment. My colleague, being from the UK, was surprised to be greeted with the statement "Oh you're from the UK you must be a wanker".

Apparently this was caused by the local policeman being from the UK and he'd been going round using the term for years and the locals had interpreted it as something nice.

Aside: where on the scale of U.S. epithets would the term "wanker" fall? Would "cock-sucker" be about right?

(I got asked this very question by an American relation a few years back.)

I think that's one for "Ask HN" :-)

As an American somewhat versed in British TV and movies, I always assumed wanker to be more equal to "asshole" or "son of a bitch", something you call your friends when they've done something bone-headed or mean-spirited. Definitely below "cock-sucker" in severity and far, far below "motherfucker".

Thank you. I feel suitably enlightened :-)

Many americans affectionately call their friend assholes.It was a huge culture shock for me initially.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com