To say the word knackered around children?

[Kayano]

I'm at my mums for Sunday dinner. Big family event this week as extended family ill so have a house full of kids and mothers and fathers etc.

I'm 8 months pregnant and watching Cats with DNeice who is 6. She yawned then I did and I informed her I was knackered.

Cue my mother literally running in the room and saying that is inappropriate to use the word knackered around children and I need to speak properly before the baby is born!

Now if I had said I was bloody knackered I would understand but I didn't and when I asked she clarified that it was the word knackered she objected to!

We are Geordies and we say this word all the time so I am actually now very confused!

Who is BU?!

Not sure - my mum thinks it's a 'bad' word too and was never allowed to say it when I was younger although doesn't go as far as giving me a lecture on what I should and shouldn't use around my own child.

I've come across this before. I don't think there's anything wrong with the word but I was once pulled up for using it in a meeting (in the informal 'how are you?' bit) and I had a childhood friend from Doncaster who was totally that I said it in front of my parents. So some people do seem to think its a proper sweary word, apparently.

Whats wrong with Knackered?

Its a fine word!

It's a generational thing I think

My parents saw knackered as swearing

I don't see it as swearing, but I wouldn't want to listen to a child saying it for some reason.

It used to be seen as a 'bad' word - I think because it stems from 'knackers' which is a slang word for testicles!

But hardly offensive in this day and age.

Oh shit... what does knackered actually mean then? I thought it just meant tired.

I think it's mildly sweary; on a par with "crap," maybe. I would say it in front of my Mum, but wouldn't have until I was well over 21, and still wouldn't say it in front of Grandma or aunties. Or children, for that matter.

When I was at school, the story was that it meant "tired from having sex" and DP has just said the same. Not sure if that's really right, but that's the meaning it has around here.

Ah Nothing to do with testicles, but related to sex and/or horses being put down

just checked in a dictionary, it just means very tired/broken etc

As a kid I was under the impression it was a bit of a swear word, I am sure someone told me it meant something like 'tired from having too much sex'!

I always assumed it had something to do with a horse being old and tired and ready for the knackers.

Use it all the time, fine for children IMO.

I think it originates from the knackers' yard - where old horses went to be put down.

My 4 year old told me off the other day when I said I was knackered. She told me that it was a naughty word (fuck knows where she got that from! )

cross post!

I heard recently the same story as girl with a llama tattoo - I was mortified!

Tired from too much sex? I've heard it all now.
Your mother was being very fucking stupid. Now that's a word that DD considers beyond the pale. Stupid.

wiki info here

I've never heard of anyone having a problem with it and am another one who thinks it comes from the knackers yard.

I'm almost sure in my parent's day it meant sexually exhausted.

I think it was because once a horse was no longer used to breed, it was 'fit for the knacker's yard'

So I suppose taken literally, it means you're well and truly fucked

i remember being told it was being tired after you had sex

i use it for when i am tired, though when i was 13 i woudl find it highly amusing, but then the words big, fat, long, come and the funniest of all spunk were highly amusing too. my cousin and i nearly passed out through laughing when Hannibal from the A-team informed the others she was full of spunk

I must be such a bad mother, I have no problem with such words, I also don't mind my 9 year old saying arse or the occasional swear. He knows to be respectful and be mindful around others, but I seriously am not too fussed at the occasional swear. I'm not a Christian or religious either do since I'm going to hell anyway I ll not worry about it too much.

I don't like hearing kids swear and even my 20yr old DS who probably swears like a trooper, doesn't swear in front of me or his siblings.

Then again, I'm 42 and don't swear in front of my Dad

God I say it all the time - "tired from sex?" - I wish.

I can see how it can be informal (I wouldn't say it in a business meeting or anything) but it's sooo not a proper sweary word, no. It sounds more comical than sweary.

In Ireland everyone says it.....it just means tired. Never heard of anyone being offended by it. I'm sort of cringing now as I live in UK and must have said it a 100 times last week to different people!!

I too think it means exhausted from shaggin' all night

but then doesn't bloody have something to do with Christ on the cross?

I don't think there's anything wrong with either tbh

But then my DS (7) has just said "he was being a right bottom-hole" clearly thinking he was being polite so perhaps I'm not the best judge!!

i don't think knackered is a swear word, it's to do with disposing of elderly horses as far as i'm concerned. mind you, my nearly three year old occasionally breaks into a riff of 'for fucken sake' so my standards may not be that high...

I wouldn't care but I have used it for so long it never ever occurred to me not to use it!