Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) an act of masturbation, also fig.

1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 13 Jan. 1/2: Home morbid-minded masturbater sent the editor of this paper a filthily-worded Jerk-off about ‘The Trier’s’ tipping.
1928		in Read Lexical Evidence 63: Try a jerk-off.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 110/1: Jerk-off, n. The act of masturbation; a chronic masturbator.
1970		T. Southern Blue Movie (1974) 77: I had fantasies, wet dreams, a million jerk-offs, you name it, about that broad for the last twenty years!
1985		‘Thommo’ Dict. Aus. Swearing & Sex Sayings 76: JERK OFF — Male masturbation.

2. (US) a useless, despised person, a lazy incompetent.

1939		P. Di Donato Christ in Concrete 127: He was the half-pint jerk-off, he was godson, he was the titty-drinker.
1947		D.W. Hamilton ‘Pacific War Lang.’ in AS XXII:1 Feb. 55: jerk, jerk-off. A goof.
1950		see sense 1.
1962		(con. WWII) J. Jones Thin Red Line (1963) 58: He’s a jerkoff. A mothergrabbing jerkoff.
1973		M. Scorsese Mean Streets [film script] I borrow money from you, because you’re the only jerk-off around here who I can borrow money from without payin’ back, right? You know, ’cause [...] that’s what I think of you: a jerk-off.
1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 158: ‘Now you listen to me, you little jerk-off,’ he snarled.
1981		W. Boyd ‘On the Yankee Station’ in On the Yankee Station (1982) 118: What’re you fuckin doing here, jerk-off?
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 86: Course you jerk-off, you fucking know who it is.
2006		C. Hiaasen Nature Girl 170: Who was that jerk-off with the Band-Aids on his hand?
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 64: Your name is whatever the fuck I call you, jerkoff.
2015		I. Welsh Decent Ride 239: The jerk-off screams and falls to the ground.
2017		D. Winslow The Force [ebook] Hey, jerkoff, you took a left, you should have gone right.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 2258: I’m a cucold, a cornuto, a juvie jerkoff, a chump.

3. (US) a fraud, a pretence.

1975		Sepe & Telano Cop Team 161: Wadda ya say we go up and find out if this whole story is a jerk-off.
1982		S. King Different Seasons (1995) 468: ‘No jerk-off, daddy-O,’ Chris said.