English
clanger
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈklæŋ.ə(ɹ)/
Noun

clanger (plural clangers)

  1. Something that clangs; an alarm bell (also figuratively).
    • 1972, The Saturday review, Volume 55, Part 2, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=L-QeAQAAMAAJ&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sbMnT_jRB8L0mAWAssyrAw&redir_esc=y page 21],
      The front and patio doors are bugged. When you open one a contact breaks and off goes the clanger.
    • 2005, Mark Latham, The Latham Diaries, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OQjISPD-bZYC&pg=PT163&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+afl+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CPsnT7XpHK-SiAeuja3MAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22%20afl%20-intitle%3A%22clanger|clangers%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false unnumbered page],
      The conversation was hard-going; we didn't click at all, but then he dropped the clanger: Beazley has done a lunch with Maxine McKew and ‘It will be read as he wants to come back. Our people want to go big with it.’
  2. The clapper of a bell, anything that strikes a bell or other metal object to make a ringing sound.
    • 2011, Jerry Spinelli, Milkweed, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=okC1rbthE4oC&pg=PT21&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z_InT7biN46hiQfi3NjBAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22%20-intitle%3A%22clanger|clangers%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false unnumbered page],
      He showed me where to pull the clanger, and I pulled and pulled and the clanging joined the music of the bombardment.
  3. (chiefly, UK, informal) A very noticeable mistake; an attention-getting faux pas.
    He dropped a real clanger when he criticized the paraplegic for not standing.
    • 1965, Anthony Howard, Richard West, The Road to Number 10, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Wk8wAAAAIAAJ&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iecnT4XbK6OriAeynfS8Ag&redir_esc=y page 215],
      When a woman heckler at Rayleigh shouted, “No more clangers!” Brown proudly rejoined: “Now listen, dear. My latest clanger was to say that people should be allowed to buy houses at lower rates of interest than you can get them for at the moment. I stand by that.”
    • 1976, Musical Opinion, Volume 100, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=h_gJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=H7YnT6vnAtD2mAW0rbTMAw&redir_esc=y page 244],
      Furthermore if a person drops even a little clanger not only will he know but the others will know and the offender will certainly know that they know!
    • 2006, Jasper Fforde, The Fourth Bear, 2009, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=WnMW3MiKaD4C&pg=PT273&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5rsnT92qJoGemQX9uImmAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22%20-intitle%3A%22clanger|clangers%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false unnumbered page],
      ‘I say,’ he added, changing the subject completely and leaning closer, ‘sorry to hear about that Riding-Hood debacle. Don′t let it get you down, eh? We all drop a serious clanger sooner or later.’
  4. (chiefly, UK, informal) An inhabitant of Bedfordshire.
  5. (Australia, Australian rules football) A mistake made by a player; counted in the game statistics in the category "errors including frees against".
    • 2006, Jim Main, Rohan Connolly, More Than a Century of AFL Grand Finals, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=dB8nKVHeJpgC&pg=PT203&dq=%22clanger%22|%22clangers%22+afl+-intitle:%22clanger|clangers%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hfknT-uLNq2ViAeftJWyAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false page 202],
      Geelong could not get their running game going and lapsed into clanger after clanger.
  6. An early hi-hat consisting of cymbals mounted on the rim of a bass drum and struck with an arm on the drum's pedal.
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