I know someone Irish who uses it as a term of affectionate p much, but I have heard it is considered (very) rude.

Her cat is called Tinker. I think it just sounds like it should be a nice thing lol.

Regardless of what the word has become , traditionally it was similar to calling an electrician a "sparky" or a carpenter a "chippy" , you called a tin-smith a "tinker". It only became derogatory after the travellers lost their identity as tin smiths , with the mass production of goods and so on , that the word took on a mocking tone.

In the UK a traveller is more likely to be called a pikey anyhow.

My grandmother affectionately refers to me as her tinker grandson on account of me hitchhiking in my youth. There wasn't an ounce of badness in her.

Interesting that it is a word on the naught list radar tho, suppose I would never have known, pretty localised to your parts.

NGO's turn vulgar speech into illegal speech. I can't stand the cunts .