Knacker, subs. (old).—1. An old horse.
1869. W. Bradwood, The O. V., H. xii. Thoroughbred weeds, and a few thoroughbred weight-carriers; half-bred knackers, and half-bred hunters cheap at three figures.
2. (old: now recognised).—A horse-slaughterer.
1839. Comic Almanack, Sept. Soon they'll be senseless brutes, without a bit of feeling, Or else they'll pine away so fast, the knackers scarce will skin 'em.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lond. Poor, i. 189. The cat and dogs-meat dealers . . . generally purchase the meat at the knackers' (horse-slaughterers') yards.
3. in pl. (venery).—The testicles. For synonyms see Cods.
4. in pl. (Stock Exchange).—Harrison, Barber, & Co. Ltd. shares. [An amalgamation of horse-slaughterers].
Knacker's brandy, subs. phr. (common).—A beating.
Knack-shop, subs. (old).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Knack . . . a Knack-shop or Toy-shop, freighted with pretty Devises to Pick Pockets.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Knick-shop, a toy shop, a nick-nackatory.
Knap, verb. (old).—1. To steal,
receive, accept, endure, etc. Thus,
to knap A clout = to steal a
handkerchief; to knap the swag
= to grab the booty; TO knap
SEVEN OR FOURTEEN PENN' ORTH
= to get seven or fourteen
years'; to knap the glim = to
catch a clap. In making a bargain
to knap the sum offered is to
accept it. Mr. Knap's been
there, is said of a pregnant
woman. To knap the rust = to
fall into a rage. Originally (as in
quots 1537 and 1566) knap = to
strike: whence knap (theatrical)
= a manual retort rehearsed and
arranged; to take (or give)
the knap = to receive (or administer)
a sham blow; and
knapper = the head or receiver
general (q.v.).
1537. Thersites [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), i. 428]. She knappeth me in the nose.
1566. Knox, Reformation in Scotland I. i. 47 (Wodrow Society, 1846). And then begane no little fray, but yitt a meary game; for rockattes were rent; typpets were torn, crownes were knapped.
1714. Lucas, Gamesters, 27. He was not ignorant in knapping, which is, striking one die dead, and let the other run a milstone.
1820. London Magazine, i. 26. It was their husband's object to knap their thimbles.
1821. Haggart, Life, p. 51.
1839. Reynolds, Pickwick Abroad, p. 223. We'll knap a fogle with fingers fly.
2. (pugilists').—To be in punishment (q.v.); to CATCH IT (q.v.). TO KNAP A HOT 'UN = to receive a hard blow.
3. (American thieves').—To arrest.—Matsell (1859).
To KNAP THE STOOP, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1822. Egan, Real Life, ii, 97. 'Having once been made inspector of the pavement, or in other words knapp'd THE STOOP.'
TO KNAP A JACOB FROM A DANNA-DRAG, verb. phr. (old).—To steal the ladder from a night-*man's cart, while the men are absent, in order to effect an ascent to a one-pair-of-stairs window, to scale a garden-wall, etc.—De Vaux. See Knap.
