"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.
bash the bishop
(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1950 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate by stimulating one's penis.
"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.
"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
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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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Semantically related
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(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate.
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(idiomatic, slang) To masturbate (male).
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(slang, vulgar) To masturbate.
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Vulgar British slang meaning to masturbate. Direct and crude, it belongs to the same family of blunt British expressions as 'have a wank' or 'knock one out.' The verb 'bash' lends it a rough, unrefined energy. It is used almost exclusively in informal speech or comedic contexts and is not considered polite in mixed company.
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(slang) To masturbate.