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A wanker is a profane slang term for a contemptible person, invoking masturbation and similar to the American insult "jerk-off". Although masturbation has widely become an accepted practice in these countries, and it is acknowledged that a majority of people do it, the insulting properties of these terms still remain.
The term "wanker", used widely throughout the British Commonwealth countries, is not considered profane in the United States, because it is rarely used. In the American sitcom Married... with Children, the character Peggy's maiden name was Wanker. Al Bundy's in-laws were therefore "the Wankers". An episode of Mork & Mindy included a character called Arnold Wanker. However, it is unlikely that the term would be used in an American broadcast today, since awareness of "wanking" as masturbation slang, and infrequent use of the term, migrated to the United States in the 2000s.
A related slang term is "wankered" which indicates intoxication, as in "I was totally wankered last night". The term is used extensively throughout the United Kingdom, but almost never in the United States.
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