Using the word 'knacker'

arybvtcw0eolkf

Try keep this one civilised lads..

In what context do you use it?.

I've noticed on boards.ie and in young people in general its now used to describe scumbags and not members of the travelling community.

Through training I've built up good relations with traveller's, and my younger brother actually went out with one so I'd never use the word to describe them. However I did in the past, as did everyone else.

But now I'll often use it to describe scummer's of all kinds on the street.

So do we still associate the word with members of the travelling community or as a generic term for scummer's?.

phasers

I use it for scumbags

and I call travellers something else

the dee

phasers wrote: »

I use it for scumbags

and I call travellers something else

Me too. Although I don't see many travellers around these days. Where have they all gone? Maybe they're just indistinguishable from everyone else now?

arybvtcw0eolkf

the dee wrote: »

Me too. Although I don't see many travellers around these days. Where have they all gone? Maybe they're just indistinguishable from everyone else now?

They're still around, but urban sprawl is pushing they're communities further and further out of town centre's.

phasers

the dee wrote: »

Me too. Although I don't see many travellers around these days. Where have they all gone? Maybe they're just indistinguishable from everyone else now?

they all live near me by the looks of things
but my local travellers are lovely
their accents crack me up

KTRIC

D'ya wanna buy a dag ??

andrew1977

phasers wrote: »

I use it for scumbags

and I call travellers something else

I agee with above.

halfinch

KTRIC wrote: »

D'ya wanna buy a dag ??

Nice shoes ya got there boss,

watna

Yep, knackers are urban scumbags and i call travellers travellers.

I think using the word knackers for travellers has gone out of usage (except maybe by older generations).

Rb

I just use "knacker" to describe scumbags in general. In my experience, I've never heard "knacker" used solely to describe travellers, maybe when I was very young but growing up it's always been a term used for scumbags.

I call travellers "pikeys" fwiw.

Ekancone

rb_ie wrote: »

I just use "knacker" to describe scumbags in general. In my experience, I've never heard "knacker" used solely to describe travellers, maybe when I was very young but growing up it's always been a term used for scumbags.

I call travellers "pikeys" fwiw.

Bigot.

WindSock

I call everyone a knacker. I don't discriminate. I call travellers thravellers, tinkers or sometimes de knaekers with a sort of cavaney thraveller accent.

Rhyme

Don't use the word all that often, but if i do use it, it's for scumbags.

'Disreputable folks.'

Dudess

A horrible aggressive thieving scumbag deserves to be called a knacker.

As for travellers I don't refer to them as knackers but I know a few people who do - mostly older generations.

RxQueen

yeah agree with most kncaker = scumbag

everybody has a label these days it seems

RandolphEsq

Northsiders

demanufactured

Dirty smelly knackers

The Chessplayer

Mairt wrote: »

Try keep this one civilised lads..

In what context do you use it?.

I've noticed on boards.ie and in young people in general its now used to describe scumbags and not members of the travelling community.

Through training I've built up good relations with traveller's, and my younger brother actually went out with one so I'd never use the word to describe them. However I did in the past, as did everyone else.

But now I'll often use it to describe scummer's of all kinds on the street.

So do we still associate the word with members of the travelling community or as a generic term for scummer's?.

No idea what age you are, but the word knacker has always been, and will always be, used to describe scumbags/skangers in general. While words like "skanger" and "skobe" come and go, "knacker" always remains.

Obviously, it is also a word for tinkers (or travellers if you prefer). It depends on the context. I use it in both cases.

The Chessplayer

Dudess wrote: »

A horrible aggressive thieving scumbag deserves to be called a knacker.

As for travellers I don't refer to them as knackers but I know a few people who do - mostly older generations.

Why do you think the term knacker was applied to them in the first place? They generally would have traded in old horses or scrap materials, therefore they are knackers. Tinker and knacker are synonymous terms. It's certainly not just older generations who describe them as such. I refer to them as knackers - the same as probably everyone I know. Who ever heard of a "traveller's yard"?!? You'd be hard pressed to find a traveller camp where the buying and selling of scrap didn't go on.

Dudess

Well it may have been a legitimate term at one time but it's almost exclusively a derogatory one now.

The Chessplayer

rb_ie wrote: »

I just use "knacker" to describe scumbags in general. In my experience, I've never heard "knacker" used solely to describe travellers, maybe when I was very young but growing up it's always been a term used for scumbags.

I call travellers "pikeys" fwiw.

The term pikey only came into use in Ireland after a crap film called Snatch.

PeakOutput

ooooh did i kinda inspire a thread?????:o

pikey is what they seem t say in britain all right

i tend not to have any reason to talk about travellers but the ****ing scummers dont stop giving me reasons to abuse them so knacker to me is scumbag/skobe/chav or whatever you want to call them

iirc a knacker was someone who would go around and get rid of dead animals for a farmer or whatever

arybvtcw0eolkf

The Chessplayer wrote: »

Who ever heard of a "traveller's yard"?!?

A 'knackers yard' was whats now called a 'slaughter house'. But mostly 'knackers' slaughtered horse's and those 'knackers' where members of the travelling community.

You asked about my age.

Well I'm old enough to remember travellers living in tents and horse drawn trailers.

As for the term 'tinkers', the same people used to mend pots & pans, they also made them by tinkering around with metals.

Oh, I'm 41.

When I was a kid all travellers were called 'knackers' and no offence was taken by them. My family had close relations with some even back then and used the term daily, although not in a derogatory way.

Anyway, 'was just wondering about the usage of the term now as I only really hear it directed at scumbags of all types.

Nailz

I call scummers scumbags/knackers, and I call travellers every term that means travellers... including knackers.

keen

I use it for things I find disgusting, "That dinner looks ****ing knacker"

Susannahmia

rb_ie wrote: »

I just use "knacker" to describe scumbags in general. In my experience, I've never heard "knacker" used solely to describe travellers, maybe when I was very young but growing up it's always been a term used for scumbags.

+1

Terry

Well I'm no big city etymologist, but it seems to me that the recent wealth in this country has produced a generation of small minded people.
People have a bit of cash, so they think they are better than everyone else and therefore anyone who doesn't fit their perspective of "normal" is dubbed a knacker, which, as far as I've always known, was a derogatory term for the travelling community.

I was brought up to accept the lifestyle choices of others and my father always gave me a verbal bashing if I used a derogatory term, so the word "knacker" isn't part of my day to day vocabulary. However, I have never seen it used as a reference to scumbags, apart from on this forum.

Travellers are travellers and scumbags are scumbags.

Knacker has been the defacto term for scumbags for the last twenty years or so. Well at least in my area anyway.

PeakOutput

Deleted User wrote: »

Knacker has been the defacto term for scumbags for the last twenty years or so. Well at least in my area anyway.

same. and for the record im not prejudice in anyway i only apply the term to people i know and who are just scumbags. there are plenty of people who wear tracksuits or whatever and are not scumbags and likewise there are plenty of suit wearing scumbags

AckwelFoley

I never use the word on its own.

When tools get robbed in broad daylight by hairy smelly people in a blue transit van, i dont know what social background they are from, but i refer to them as

"fcuking Knackers"

I know some travellers.. i call them Paddy, and Johnny..

If they rob ma sh1t, i'll refer to them as "fcuking knackers".

Dave!

I rarely use it for travellers. I much prefer the term 'pikeys'.

I don't use it for general filth though... It's reserved for travellers.

williambonney

A knacker is simply a scumbag, no need to elaborate. But where does anyone hear the term traveller used for tinkers, except by the media and of course the odious pc brigade.

Dudess

I hear all kinds of people (PC or otherwise) of younger generations using the term "traveller" moreso than "knacker" or "tinker" - I think that sounds rather old-fashioned, something those of older generations would say. I'd sound like my 60-year-old mother if I used the term "tinkers". It probably depends where in the country you are too.
If I heard someone of my generation referring to "a bunch of knackers" I'd assume they were talking about skangers.

williambonney

I would never insult a tinker by calling him a knacker.

nobodythere

Every time someone says it I have to ask which one they mean, you can't really know any more

cooperguy

Knacker = scumbag in my books

You should have put a poll in the thread it would make it much easier to see what people think

Tha Gopher

daithifleming wrote: »

Bigot.

*yawn*

Jimminy jillickers Radioactive Man, I spot personal abuse!

Most people I know might say something like "hes a knacker" for a settled scumbag we know, whereas in traveller terms might say "these two lads, ya know, like proper knackers"

Given only 16% of travellers of working age have a job and they are dispropotionatelyt represented in the prison population, and that in all my years Ive only ever had one experience with them even mildly positive, the PC arguements wear pretty ****ing thin.

Holsten

I'd use it to describe both scumbags and pikeys, mainly just scumbags though.

Statso

Those fine people who render old horses into dog food and glue must feel awful insulted their profession is now another word for scumbags.

dsmythy

God im only 23 and i use knacker to describe travellers. I must be an old man at heart so. I've never used it to describe scumbags though. I mean a scumbag is a scumbag. Why the need for a different word?

Poxyshamrock

Scumbags = Knackers
Travellers = Tinkers

Boggles

Mairt wrote: »

and my younger brother actually went out with one

Jaysus!! I'd say it was more violence than sex.

The Queen

I usually use that word to give out to a friend who did something to annoy me - ie Ah you spilt my drink, ya knacker!

I call travelers itinerants (sp) or travelers.

orestes

I try to avoid saying the word knacker, I live in Tallaght so whether I'm referring to skangers or travellers wouldn't really matter since they would team up and kill me anyway.

Generally though I say knacker for scummer scumbag types and traveller for travellers

Is "traveller" not a subset of "knacker"?

slipss

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.

tallaght01

It's all about the context,

When my mate rang me the other day and said "About 50 ****in knackers have just moved into the field across the road from me, and their poxy greyhounds have eaten my cat", I knew he wasn't talking about a load of boys in white tracksuits living the great outdoor dream 50 yards from his house!

When I hear someone saying "I was at (insert name of nightclub) in town last night. Full of knackers", I don't suddenly imagine that bouncers now let members of the travelling communities into licensed premises.

EamonnKeane

Knacker is a compliment - it implies that travellers actually work

cherubaul

Knacker - a term i use in reference to members of the traveling community
Skanger/scummer/scobe - a stereotypical scumbag

Do i see a problem with this?
Quite simply put no i don't Skangers have made their own beds now they can lie in them i'm sure most agree causing untold misery to many people is worse than a derogatory name.

Secondly Knacker is a knacker is a knacker as long as i've been around and I don't care if the PC brigade have decided that its now an unacceptable term.

sure by calling them travellers/tinkers and the like youre still separating them from the rest of society anyway. And given their lifestyle they obviously want it that way.

Fighting Irish

Mairt wrote: »

Try keep this one civilised lads..

In what context do you use it?.

I've noticed on boards.ie and in young people in general its now used to describe scumbags and not members of the travelling community.

Through training I've built up good relations with traveller's, and my younger brother actually went out with one so I'd never use the word to describe them. However I did in the past, as did everyone else.

But now I'll often use it to describe scummer's of all kinds on the street.

So do we still associate the word with members of the travelling community or as a generic term for scummer's?.

I lol everytime something like this is brought up, people should be allowed say whatever the fu(k they want, when they want

red_ice

i use the word knacker alot - but only in jest.. i would call a scumbag a knacker but would also use it to describe a disgusting situation like...

"i saw a guy break his arm - it was knacker"
"some dirt bird squeezed a brown trout on the toilet lid - its knacker"

etc..