clanker

• clanka (robots or artificial intelligence)

From clank +‎ -er, onomatopoeic.^[1] The derogatory sense was coined by the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando in 2005^[2] and popularized by the Star Wars fandom, especially online via the Reddit community r/prequelmemes when referring to droids of the Star Wars universe. The derogatory sense saw a significant resurgence on social media due to the AI boom.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈklæŋkəɹ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

clanker (plural clankers)

1. Something that makes a clanking noise.
   • 2007 September 9, Jennifer Dunning, “Choreographic Evidence That Laughing Matters”, in New York Times‎^[3]:

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

2. (Internet slang, derogatory, humorous, science fiction) A robot or artificial intelligence.

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

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

     Lousy clanker.

   • 2008 October 3, George Lucas and Steven Melching, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, spoken by Jek (Dee Bradley Baker):

     Okay clankers, suck lasers!

   • 2024 October 12, @Banbuds, Twitter‎^[4], archived from the original on 5 June 2025:

     Already can't stand these fucking clankers

   • 2024 October 19, @solid_n8, Instagram‎^[5], archived from the original on 7 June 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

3. (Internet slang) A person who uses automated technology.
4. (slang) A fib.

   Stop telling clankers!

   • 1899, Paul Leicester Ford, Janice Meredith, page 388:

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

   • 2010, Maggie MacKeever, Our Tabby, →ISBN:

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

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

     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."

• (derogatory: robot): Looked down upon by some Internet commentators due to clear parallels in many usages with anti-Black slurs, such as quips about "clanker with a hard r".

• Lackner, crankle