We've Added New Words! Hobknocker is, originally, a piece of construction equipment similar to a jackhammer, but people sometimes use it as an insult The hobknocker is a construction tool invented in the mids. It is used in the demolition of buildings, among other uses. The name itself is possibly a reference to someone who would knock hobs the nails used to hold boots together back in the day, hence a hobknocker.