knackers, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

knackers n.

also knacks, nackers, nakers

[dial.]

1. the testicles.

1837		‘Judy’s Got a Rare Black Eye!’ in Ri-tum Ti-tum Songster 22: In silent bliss mankind reposes; / Her hands upon our knackers prest.
1866		T. Edmondston Etym. Gloss. Shetland and Orkney Dial. 76: Nackers, testes, S .
1877		in E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley and Corringham, Lincolnshire .
1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant I 523/2: Knackers [...] (Butchers, &c.), the testicles, also ‘knuckers’.
c.1900		‘Ramrod’ Nocturnal Meeting 57: His prick and knackers showed up in sharp relief.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 549: Eh, Harry, give him a kick in the knackers.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 142: Lay off of that. You’re spieling knackers.
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 115: ‘You better arst the sergeant.’ ‘He’ll chew my nackers off.’.
1941		in G. Legman Limerick (1953) 245: There was a young man of Malacca / Who always slept on his left knacker.
1945		(con. 1939) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 170: You can’t lick ’em, Johnny [...] They got you by the knackers. You got to play it their way.
1950		P. Larkin letter 30 July in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 166: The absurdity of it all struck me like a fist in the knackers – like trying to argue away the sun.
1959		D. Niland Big Smoke 146: You come up with a watch, a decent job, bloody all gold, heavy as a handful of brass knackers [***meaning?? – knuckles?].
1963		N. Dunn Up the Junction 40: ‘Aren’t Chelsea blokes sexy?’ ‘No [...] They lost their knackers in the Flood.’.
1968		G. Slatter Pagan Game (1969) 71: What say we climb over and kick a few in the knackers eh?
1971		K. Gilbert Cherry Pickers III ii: (Grabs at toodle’s crotch) How’s ya bunions? [...] How’s yer knackers?
1975		(con. 1939) J. Rosenthal Evacuees Scene 39: It’s not swearing. ‘Nackers’ is swearing.
1976		D. Ireland Glass Canoe (1982) 225: Someone lurched above me, tried to recover balance and trod fair on my knackers.
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 81: [He] let out a yowl like a League prop who’s just had his knackers yanked.
1987		B. Chatwin Songlines 79: ‘Not bad for seventy-three!’ he looked down at himself. ‘Serviceable knackers!’.
1987		(con. 1920s) L. Redmond Emerald Square 73: We had often thought up tortures for Yella’ Man. Such things as hanging him up on a butcher’s hook by the nakers.
1996		Penguin Bk of More Aus. Jokes 379: Do you know your knackers are hanging through the old wicker chair?
1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: knackers n. (na-kaz) childish Testicles. As in: ‘Ooyaah! I’ve knacked me knackers!’.
2000		(con. 1977) D. Peace Nineteen seventy-seven 11: He tuts and scratches his knackers as he gets out of the car.
2006		P. Carey Theft 20: We did the old charge and grab the knackers.
2011		S. Kelman Pigeon English 213: I’d kung fu him in the knackers.
2015		N. Cummins Tales of the Honey Badger [ebook] [T]hat little bastard [...] went straight at the big prick’s nutsack and ripped his knackers clean off.