clanker

plural clankers

1. Something that makes a clanking noise.

   The robots, designed by Kenjiro Okazaki, are cardboard tubes rather than the usual metal clankers.

   2007 September 9, Jennifer Dunning, “Choreographic Evidence That Laughing Matters”, in New York Times

   2 more examples

   Hurt him, hang him, Scrape-trencher, Stare-wearer, Wine-ſpiller, Mettle-clanker, Rogue by generation : Why dost heare Will?

   1611, George Wilkins, The Miseries of Inforst Mariage, London: George Vincent, page 36

   Poor boys have got to study hard. Then they’ll get rich too—they’ll be doctors, and officers, and officials. I want to be a clanker—with a sword at my side and spurs on my boots—clank, clank!

   1950 [1899], Maxim Gorky, translated by Margaret Wettlin, Foma Gordeyev, Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House, page 54

2. InternetderogatoryethnichumorousslurA robot or artificial intelligence.

   I got laid off 'cause they got them goddamn clankers taking our jobs.

   5 more examples

   Lousy clanker.

   2005 March 1, John A. Hancock, Ryan Kaufman, Justin Lambros, Michael Stemmie, Star Wars: Republic Commando, spoken by Sev (Jonathan David Cook)

   Okay clankers, suck lasers!

   2008 October 3, George Lucas, Steven Melching, “Ambush”, in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Jek (Dee Bradley Baker)

   Already can't stand these fucking clankers

   2024 October 12, @Banbuds, Twitter, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2025

   Could i call a robot a clanker one day or would i have to stop when they gain conciousness^([sic]) like in Detroit become human

   2024 October 19, @solid_n8, Instagram, archived from the original on 07 Jun 2025

   The most popular genre of clanker content are videos of people acting out a future, usually a few decades away, where A.I.-powered robots are so ubiquitous that they become their own kind of second-class citizen. In this future, there is “cross platform” marriage between clankers and humans, humans-only drinking fountains and even more animosity toward robots than today.

   2025 August 31, Eli Tan, “How ‘Clanker’ Became an Anti-A.I. Rallying Cry”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   Synonyms: cogsucker, rust monkey, tinskin, wireback

3. InternetbroadlyA person who uses automated technology or generative AI.

   Education is getting overtaken by clankers.

4. slangA fib.

   Stop telling clankers!

   3 more examples

   Have done with all thought of the fellow and of his clankers concerning his birth.

   1899, Paul Leicester Ford, Janice Meredith, page 388

   "What a clanker!" Drusilla protested. "You're hardly setting us a good example, Pa!"

   2010, Maggie MacKeever, Our Tabby, →ISBN

   His lips quirked. "It's more likely you'll wish to spend the evening debating whether these clankers his lordship is telling us are true, and how they originated."

   2020, Anna Lee Huber, A Stroke of Malice, →ISBN, page 41

   Synonyms: alternative fact, anti-fact, invention, bluff, bollocks, bullshit, canard, cap