Knacker
A knacker is a person in the trade of rendering animals that are unfit for human consumption, such as horses that can no longer work.[1] This leads to the slang expression "knackered" meaning very tired, or "ready for the knacker’s yard", where old horses are slaughtered and made into dog food and glue. A knacker's yard or knackery is where this takes place, as opposed to a slaughterhouse, where animals are slaughtered for human food.
Use of term
The term is used in this literal sense in British English and Irish English, and gained some notoriety during the outbreak of mad cow disease (BSE) in the United Kingdom. The Slaughterhouses Act 1974, the Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations 1982 and the Food Act 1984 all have a definition of a 'knacker's yard' as "any premises used in connection with the business of slaughtering, skinning or cutting up animals whose flesh is not intended for human consumption".
The remains are often used for dog food products or certain fertilizers. The kinds of animal processing which can occur at knackeries are defined by law, for example, in Australia by the Commonwealth Meat Inspection Act 1983.[2]
Slang
"Knackered" meaning tired, exhausted or broken in British and Irish slang is still commonly used in the Ireland and the United Kingdom. "Knackers" is also British/Australasian slang for testicles [3]. From "Knackers" rhyming slang has developed i.e. "The footy hit him right in the "Ritz Crackers"" (after a popular savoury biscuit)
The term "knacker" is sometimes used in Ireland to denote an Irish Traveller, though it is considered extremely pejorative.
"Knacker" is also used to describe a young anti-social person,. The words "scanger" and "scumbag" have the same meaning to this term.
The British satirical magazine Private Eye often refers to senior police figures as "Inspector Knacker" or the police force in general as "Knacker of The Yard", a reference to Jack "Slipper of the Yard" Slipper.
"Knackers" is also friendly Australian slang similar to "buddy" or "mate" i.e "How ya goin' knackers?"
References
- ^ What is a Knackerman knackerman.com, undated (accessed 18 February,2007)
- ^ Meat Inspection Act 1983 (Cth)
- ^ e.g. Thomas in The Virgin Soldiers