Etymology

The usage is dated to the 1930s. A shortened version of , the hunt based at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. In the Cockney rhyming slang, is made to rhyme with giving the word its original slang meaning.

Usage notes

In both and , berk is pronounced like (/bɑː(ɹ)k/). In other cases such as Cockney and American English pronunciaton, it rhymes with .

Noun

1. A fool, prat, twit.
2. An idiot, in an affectionate sense.
3. Cunt.

Usage notes

It is not perceived to be excessively rude, perhaps because whilst it is known for being a slang word, its origin in rhyming slang is not well known.