Shona

In reply to:

Maybe no-one in the UK talked about masturbation at all before "wank" was imported, although I find that hard to credit.


I'm reasonably certain that, at public schools, 'beastliness' was code for buggery (to use the plain old Anglo-Saxon - or was it?). Perhaps the term was more inclusive and also covered the sin of Onan (though as anybody will tell you, apparently Onan was punished merely for spilling it in excitement, not literally for the sin of the handman).

cheer

the sunshine warrior