Adolescence: What does the word 'Nonce' mean? Details explored

Adolescence tells the harrowing tale of Jamie Miller, a regular thirteen-year-old boy who is arrested and subsequently convicted of murdering a female classmate. Streaming now on Netflix, Adolescence is a four-part drama mini-series created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, along with Philip Barantini serving as the director. Stephen Graham additionally wrote Adolescence and also stars as Eddie, Jamie Miller's father.

Since Adolescence is an English show, it has various British words woven into the narrative and the dialogues. One such word used is "nonce," which is a British slang referring to either an alleged or a convicted sex offender, especially involving children.

The Netflix mini-series has been gathering rave reviews, particularly owing to its gritty portrayal of a disturbing crime. Staying true to its docu-drama fashion, the mini-series makes remarkable use of one-take single shots without cuts and edits to heighten the claustrophobic drama. The opening scene, in which the police barge in and clear each room before discovering Jamie, is one such example, followed by the other episodes that each feature one-take long shots without any edits.

Here's everything that we know.

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Significance of the word 'nonce' in Adolescence

As mentioned earlier, 'nonce' is referred to in slang terminology to indicate a sexual offender/predator. In the dictionary, 'nonce' has been described as something that is used for a single, specific use or occasion. The word comes up on the mini-series towards the end of the narrative, almost thirteen months after Jamie has been incarcerated at the Standing Secure Training Centre.

As Eddie prepares to celebrate his birthday, he unravels a birthday card from his son. However, his birthday celebrations are marred when Lisa walks in to inform him that someone has vandalized his van parked outside. Upon going out to inspect, Eddie finds that someone has written the word 'nonce' on the van.

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Stephen Graham speaks about the Netflix mini-series

Stephen Graham recently spoke to Sky News about the genesis of the Netflix mini-series and the reason he needed to tell this story. He revealed:

""I read an article about a young girl who was stabbed to death by a young boy, and then a few months later, on the news there was a young girl who, again, had been brutally stabbed to death by a young boy in a completely different part of the country."

He added:

"If I'm really honest with you, that hurt my heart and I just thought, why? Why does this kind of thing happen? What is this society? Why have we reached this point where this kind of thing is happening? What was the reason?"

Adolescence is exclusively available on Netflix.