Wednesday, September 17, 2008

New Word Wednesday


knackered - what I will be when I get off the plane in Brisbane on Sunday after traveling for two days

More specifically, knackered means to be utterly exhausted or worn out. It's actually one of the first new words that I learned after I moved to Scotland (almost two years ago!). I'd stayed up all night working on something (or possibly reading a book), and when relating this to my officemate, he said, "You don't look knackered." And after giving him my I-have-no-idea-what-you-just-said blank stare, he explained.

Since then, I've learned that knackered can not only be applied to people, but objects as well. For example, you can say, "After walking home last night in the ferocious wind and rain, my umbrella was completely knackered." Umbrellas don't have a long life here in Edinburgh.

Knackered is fun to say, although I have to admit it's not one of the words that's crept into my regular-use vocabulary. It would have been very appropriate to describe my condition on Sunday after my running partner and I tried a new route. We're experimenting with hills. The less said about that the better.

3 comments:

Keziah Fenton said...

Maybe it's because I'm Canadian or had British grandparents but knackered is a word with which I am very familiar. One could say intimate as well. I'm knackered from swimming with the pup in a 66 degree pool while a cool breeze raised all the hair on my exposed body. I bet that burned a lot of calories.

Have a grand time in Australia. Take lots of photos!

C said...

Have a fabulous time in Aussie-land. Can't wait to see the pics.

Though I understand it'll probably be a while before you post any. You'll be knackered after all. :)

The Merry said...

For some reason... perhaps because I'm not intimate with the word? I always mis-read that word as 'knickered' instead. Which I interpret to mean someone putting underwear on your head.

May I place my order for a couple of Aussies? I hope you actually get a chance to a)sleep on the plane (she said optimistically) and b)actually get out and see the country a bit!