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Knackered

Posted by Shae on April 26, 2004

In Reply to: Knackered posted by lewis on April 26, 2004

: : There are various words and phrase to describe the inebriated state. He was drunk-as-a-skunk, ****-faced, plastered, plowed, etc. Can anyone give the origin of "langers" and "knackered?" I have heard them used a great deal in Ireland but rarely here in the U.S..

: when a horse is unfit and useless - the custom was for it to be taken to the "knackers yard" - slaughterhouse for horses. for some reason 'knackers' also refers to testicles and somebody being 'knackered' meant being tired out particularly from sexual exertion. perhaps the two are linked and it was originally horses too exhausted to stud that were taken to the yard.

KNACKERED: tired, worn out (origin obscure)
LANGERED, also LANGERS: drunk (origin obscure but cf. E 'langern,' to languish, lie sick, and Ir 'longar,' swaying motion. Dictionary of Hiberno-English, Terence Patrick Dolan

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