well, actually:

The word clanker has been previously used in science fiction literature, first appearing in a 1958 article by William Tenn in which he uses it to describe robots from science fiction films like Metropolis.[2]

He actually taught science fiction and had lots of interesting stories of the classic era of scifi, like BEM's - a bug-eyed-monster, arms wrapped around a woman in s "brass brassiere".

hmmm.. which now I realize explains "the flat eyed monster"...

https://www.baen.com/Chapters/9781476780986/9781476780986___...