Tinkers have usually been regarded as the lowest order of craftsmen, and their occupation has been often pursued, especially by gipsies, as a mere cover for vagabondage. [Century Dictionary, 1891]
In Scotland and the north of Ireland, the ordinary name for a gipsy .... Also, applied to itinerant beggars, tradesmen, and performers generally. [OED, 1989]
「使發出叮噹聲」的及物意義出現在1580年代。在中古英語中,還有「耳中有叮噹聲的感覺」的用法。作為名詞,「小叮噹聲的連續發聲」出現於1680年代;到1804年則指「發出小叮噹聲的行為或動作」。give (one) a tinkle on the blower是20世紀30年代的英國口語,意為「打電話給某人」。