wank - The Jargon File

[Columbia University: prob.: by mutation from Commonwealth slang v. wank, to masturbate] Used much as hack is elsewhere, as a noun denoting a clever technique or person or the result of such cleverness. May describe (negatively) the act of hacking for hacking's sake (“Quit wanking, let's go get supper!”) or (more positively) a wizard. Adj. wanky describes something particularly clever (a person, program, or algorithm). Conversations can also get wanky when there are too many wanks involved. This excess wankiness is signalled by an overload of the wankometer (compare bogometer). When the wankometer overloads, the conversation's subject must be changed, or all non-wanks will leave. Compare neep-neeping (under neep-neep). Usage: U.S. only. In Britain and the Commonwealth this word is extremely rude and is best avoided unless one intends to give offense. Adjectival wanky is less offensive and simply means ‘stupid’ or ‘broken’ (this is mainstream in Great Britain).