Using the word 'knacker'

LuckyStar

I use tinkers for travellers and knackers for everyone else!

LuckyStar

slipss wrote: »

If I was refering to someone that rendered horses I'd use the word knacker, genuinly thats the only time I'd use it, but I have never had the requirment and I have never used it. I call travellers travellers and I call scumbags scumbags or if refering to a particular scumbag sometimes I'd use the word thug. The reason I don't refer to travellers as knackers is the reason I don't refer to black people as negros, it's pathetically outdated, ignorant and offensive and is basically the realm of the purposfully beligerantly ignorant.

Well aren't you great, good of you to talk to us "purposfully beligerantly ignorant" folks!

mildews

A knacker is a person in the trade of rendering animals that are unfit for human consumption, such as work horses that have died in harness or are too tired to work any more.[1] This leads to the slang expression "knackered" meaning very tired, or ready for the knacker’s yard, where old horses would be slaughtered and made into dog food and glue. The word is derived from the old Irish word for a horse (an each) pronounced on ack. From this is derived the word for a horse dealer (an eachoir) , pronounced on ack-ower anglicised to a knacker.

This is what I found on wickapedia. The use of Knacker to describe members of the travelling community was very common in the late 70s and early 80s when i was a kid, but seemed to die out with the pc generation.

arybvtcw0eolkf

slipss wrote: »

I don't refer to black people as negros

Well I might be completely ignorant here, but isn't that their proper race name and we're 'caucasians'?.

juuge

I always associate 'knackers' with testicles.
As in.. 'I gave him a kick in the knackers'......or if I'm tired.....'I'm really knackered'
The other kind I call 'pikeys'

Dinter

A knacker's anyone who thinks they're owed a living. Whether they're scumbags or travellers.

KingOfFairview

I wouldnt really use it, I'd say scumbags if thats what I meant... a lot of people do use it, but not in a racist way. I think you can generally tell by the tone and context how its meant

Degsy

When i was a kid travellers were called either "tinkers" or "gypsies"..both having historical roots.Now they're called "knackers" or "travellers".I call them Cream Crackers or just Creamers.
WScumbags used to be called knackers,too,then they were called Hoodies or Hoodahs,Trackers,Bogies or scumbags.Now they're just called scumbags..the best name for em!

Dyr

See its like this, a knacker is a traveller/smokie/cream cracker/pikey/gyppo

however it can be attributed to a ornery citizen for a specific reason as in "i can't believe ye just drank a can of dutch gold that was being used as an ash tray, ye durty bleedin knacker ye"

capiche?

Peared

For some reason its ok to call scumbags knackers but its not ok to call travellers knackers. You have to avoid calling the people the word is named for that word whilst lumping it on the skangers instead.

What happens when a traveller has a row with a skanger? (apart from bloodshed) Do they call each other f*ckin romas?