note: This is very similar to my writeup at
jerk off. If anyone can alert me to any distinctions between the two terms, I would be very interested
Slang (and slightly dismissive) term meaning "
masturbate". Usually applied to
males, but this is probably due to the social phenomenon of male masturbation being generally more accepted and discussed. The
synonymous terms
beat off and
jeark off suggest that the energy and force of the act are the source of the term.
If I were a
feminist cultural critic I could discuss the implications of violent terms being associated with
autoeroticism, but I suspect that the issue is no more profound than what I've discussed above.
"Whacking off" is a very casual term, and used when one wants to detract from the significance of the act (or when one is in early
adolesence, or otherwise
chronically horny).
Important usage note: A person "whacks off." One never, never "whacks it off." This means to violently
chop something off, and the "it" in this phrase is going to be something very uncomfortable to contemplate (females included -- see
female circumcision).
You have been warned.