banger [M17th] Banger has had several slang senses since the mid 17th century. It was first a gross or blatant lie, what we would now call a ‘whopper’. It has been used for a loud or forceful kiss, or a ‘smacker’ [L19th], and in US college slang it was a cane or club [M19th]. The meaning ‘sausage’ [E20th] is originally Australian and was probably suggested by the tendency of fat sausages to ‘pop’ if not pricked before cooking. The ‘old car’ sense is more recent, not being recorded before the 1960s.