yonks

English

Etymology

Unknown. First seen in print around 1960. One theory is that it comes from donkey's ears; another is that it is an abbreviation of years, months and weeks.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /jɒŋks/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒŋks

Noun

yonks pl (plural only)

1. (slang, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) A long time (especially a longer time than expected); ages

   Haven’t seen him in yonks!

   I’ve been a teacher for yonks–I should really try another career.

   This egg is taking yonks to boil.

   • 1968 August 27, Christopher Ward, “The Christopher Ward Page”, in Daily Mirror, London, page 7:

     I rang singer Julie Driscoll […] She said: "I haven't heard from you for yonks […] "

   • 1975 January 28, Bill Stewart, “Comic Cuts”, in Evening Chronicle, number 30393, Newcastle, page 7:

     Alas, the comics for that age group have nearly all picture stories today—and of course the ones for younger readers have been that way for yonks (sorry, years).

   • 1982, Alan Bennett, “A Woman of No Importance”, in The Complete Talking Heads, Picador, published 2010, →ISBN, page 14:

     It's what Miss Brunskill calls ‘our little backwater’. We're more or less fixtures there and have been for yonks.

   • 2024 February 17, John Wright, quoting John Lydon, “I terrified a nation. Not bad for an 18-year-old”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 16:

     “Yonks,” he replies when I ask how long he's been stateside. “It's not like I've become American. I'm in England every year.”

Anagrams

• Kyson