Tinkers is a term for a group of Irish Travellers who worked with tin and mended pots and pans from door to door in rural Ireland before urbanisation in the 1960's. This is a perjoritive term these days and is used to insult Irish Travellers, as gyppo is to insult Romani people (different ethnic nomads in Britain & Ireland).

Not all Irish Travellers were tinkers (from tinsmithing or tinsmith) as there were horse dealers, market traders etc.

Irish Travellers have their own distinct culture, traditions, way of life and language and are indigenious to Ireland and are said to be here in Ireland before the Celts arrived in Ireland 500 yrs BC.

A phrase to describe someone who is cognitively degenerating. Synonym of "going off the deep end". Can have varying degrees of severity.

Reference to the song "Hey You" by Pink Floyd. The line "and the worms ate into his brain" makes no sense in an otherwise linear and literal narration throughout the lyrics.

Commonly used to define members of the Irish travelling community. The previous definition cites the use of 'tinker' in this context as ignorant. Maybe he/she is a tinker (in the metalwork sense of the word) and does not like his traditional profession to be used in such a manner. I would like to add that Irish travellers traditionally were very improvising metal workers and sold pots made of scrap metal to make a living (as opposed to topping trees badly and laying poor quality tarmacam like they do now).This is the long-standing origin of the association of Irish travellers with the word 'tinker'. They are tinkers. Hence the phrase, ' Any scrap copper there boss'.

noun--A non-professional person skilled at mechanical or electrical inventions and/or repairs.

verb--To engage in minor repairs or inventing.

Shortening of the word "tinceard" which is Gaelic for Tinsmith. Commonly used to describe Irish Travellers, although many now consider it an insult. People get confused between Gypsy's of Romany decent, and Irish Tinkers. Mainly because their so ignorant and born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

Although usually meaning Irish travellers can also be used to refer to someone dirty or unhygenic in appearence or smell...

to pee lol also to go to the toilet or the shitter lol