Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US Und.) to embezzle the takings of an illegal card-game, confidence trick etc; thus sink someone on/of v., to cheat a partner of such takings.

1718		C. Hitchin Conduct of Receivers and Thief-Takers 16: There is not a more honest or better File [...] I have heard his Fellowman say, that he has never sunk him of a Farthing, and they have gone together on 30 Years on this Lay.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 80: sink To cheat; to hide from a partner. sinkers Thieves who do not divide fair with their companions.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 12/1: Legs had [...] been doing a crib the night previous, but on ‘raking the stuff, stuck’ to some eighty pounds. The others found it out, and [...] he was accused of sinking the eighty ‘quid,’ and asked to ‘square it’.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 389: Besides the care of his trainers, rubbers, riders, and race-horses, he was obliged to watch his sharpers to see that they did not ‘sink’ on him.

2. (also sink back) to drink alcohol, e.g. sink the amber, to drink beer [note Antidote against Melancholy (1661) ‘In a pint there’s small heart, Sirah, bring a quart / [...] / Wee’l sink him before sunset’].

1781		G. Parker View of Society II 130: He takes the money and grabbles the bit as fast as possible, all or the most part of which he sinks.
c.1790		‘The Rakes of Mallow’ 2: Beauing, belling, dancing, sinking, / Breaking windows, damning, sinking [...] Live the Rakes of Mallow. / One time nought but claret drinking, / Then like politicians thinking, / To raise the nations fund when sinking, / Live the Rakes of Mallow.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) II 54: A round dozen pipes they sunk, / And then return to town dead drunk.
1837		‘The Sedgfield Frolic’ in Rum Ti Tum! in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 178: There’s a brave sinking tailor, / That hath a brisk handsome wife.
1839		Bell’s Life in London 10 Feb. 2/1: Young sprigs of rank [...] / Their courage high, their game unshrinking / While whisker’s Marquisses display / Wound’rous alacrity at sinking.
1896		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 22 Feb. 4/4: Could Quack sink a pint.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Dec. 14/1: He strolled into a public bar and loudly called for beer; / He downed it with a gurgling sigh and scratched his off-side ear; / ‘I’m from the country, boys,’ he said, ‘and snakes, but ain’t I dry! / We’re reg’lar whales at sinking beer – us coves from Mungindi.’.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 2 July 34/2: [H]e swaggered off to sink a soda an’ milk at the pasthry place beyont.
1905		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Off the Mark’ Sporting Times 22 Apr. 1/3: She forms idiotic estimates of how much I have sunk / In the liquor line.
1918		Kia Ora Coo-ee 15 Apr. 17: And after we had sunk a few boozes… We saw the A.P.M. But he saw us first.
1928		Townsville Daily Bull. (Qld) 25 Feb. 14/3: I have noticed that Steve and yourself have been sinking a few pots.
1934		Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 1 Mar. 10/4: I sinks me jug.
1947		J. Maclaren-Ross Of Love And Hunger 124: Here, sink that pint and have one on me.
1950		‘Neville Shute’ Town Like Alice 219: He took a glass and sank half of it.
1955		D. Niland Shiralee 78: The men were going to sink a brandy or two.
1961		B. Crump Hang On a Minute, Mate (1963) 111: Might as well sink one or two while we’re here.
1966		P. Boyle At Night All Cats Are Grey 63: It took you sinking your pint middling rapid to keep pace with them.
1969		A. Buzo Rooted I iii: I just thought we’d drop in, have a chat, sink a few.
1977		T. Ronan Mighty Men on Horseback 17: We had indulged in normal occupation of sinking a few noggins.
1984		Benjamin & Pearl Limericks Down Under 68: [T]he gins and the tonics are sunk.
1988		T. Jones Curse of the Vampire Socks 36: So come and sink a lager!
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 61: Big Oscar wasn’t molly or even half blotto because he’d only sunk three schooners.
1998		B. Robinson Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman 180: It was Rob’s practice to sink a gut full of Teachers’.
2000		Guardian G2 10 Jan. 3: Will you be sinking some back?
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 94: [T]hey’d spent the night around the fire ‘sinking piss’.

3. (US) to bury; also in fig. use.

1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 230: The sooner you drop it and get people to forget how you’re bred, the better [...] So take my tip and sink the Romany.
1907		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 9: Poor Fritz always was a good friend of mine. The least I can do is help sink him.
1951		C. Stoker Thicker ’n Thieves 303: Parker [...] was hoping that Mrs. Christian would be instrumental in sinking me on perjured testimony.

4. to betray, to inform on.

1903

H. Hapgood Autobiog. of a Thief 221: They all believed the worst thing a grafter could do was to sink a pal.

5. (US) to hit.

1966

F. Elli Riot (1967) 172: Keep your snitchin’ mouth shut or I’ll sink a couple in that lard sack of yours.

6. (UK black) to eat, to consume.

2016

A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 16: I left some [food] in the oven for Dad to sink when he got home.

7. (US und.) to kill.

2023

(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 8: Max said, ‘Sink him, Freddy’ [...] I shoved Danforth off the cliff.