Green’s Dictionary of Slang

gherkin n.

(Aus. prison) the penis.

1990

Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Gherkin. Penis.

In phrases

jerk one’s gherkin (v.)

to masturbate.

1938–44		in G. Legman Limerick (1953) 271: There was a young fellow named Perkin / Who always was jerkin’ his gherkin.
1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 65: While the other bastards are busy getting the dirty water off their chests, a bloke like me runs the risk of goin’ blind jerkin’ the gherkin.
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1972		J. Hibberd A Stretch of the Imagination (2000) 137: A last jerk of the gherkin... just in case [...] I’d like to die erect.
1980		Maledicta IV:2 (Winter) 199: In any case, we would all agree that […] to pump one’s pickle or jerk one’s gherkin (Canadian terms, these) is not so satisfactory as to lay a wench.
1985		‘Thommo’ Dict. Aus. Swearing & Sex Sayings 73: JERKIN’ THE GHERKIN — Male masturbation.
1989		J. Hibberd Memoirs of an Old Bastard 197: In no time at all she was under the table, jerking at my shrivelled gherkin.
1990		Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Jerkin’ the gherkin. Masturbation.
1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: jack off v. To choke the chicken (qv); jerkin’ the gherkin.
2002		B. Healey ‘U4ME’ (poem) on Originality 🌐 Jerkin the gherkin, grating the carrot / Wiping the pipe, strangling the parrot.