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bash the bishop

(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.

ˈbæʃ ðə ˈbɪʃəpDocumented since 1950s1950sBoomerhistorical57 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1950 · no dated citations yet
1950BornToday, 2026

Definitions

#1·Apr 26, 2026

(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.

Origin: or disputed. Goldman (1950) suggests that beat the bishop comes from a resemblance of the penis to a bishop’s miter; Partridge (7th ed., 1970) likewise derives bash the bishop from a resemblance to the Staunton bishop chess piece. Other sources, such as Green, suggest that assonance of bishop with bash, beat, bop etc. may have given rise to the phrase as a type of word play. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"bash the bishop" means: To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.. The term has a sexual reference, so parents may want to know the context in which a child uses or hears it. In most cases it is part of normal teenage curiosity rather than a concrete worry. A short, non-judgemental conversation about consent, respect and online safety is usually the best response. Look at the wider pattern of behaviour, not the one word.

For ESL learners

"bash the bishop" means: To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

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For specific readers

"bash the bishop" means: To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.. The term has a sexual reference, so parents may want to know the context in which a child uses or hears it. In most cases it is part of normal teenage curiosity rather than a concrete worry. A short, non-judgemental conversation about consent, respect and online safety is usually the best response. Look at the wider pattern of behaviour, not the one word.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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