Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a menial, a stooge; a toady.

1850		E.V. Kenealy Goethe: a New Pantomime in Poetical Works 2 (1878) 336: Skulker, Flunky, Horse-face, Stuffgut, / Heaven make me thy Jack Ketch!
1851		‘Greenhorn’ [G. Thompson] Bristol Bill 15/2: The burglar evidently satisfied himself that Bill would prove no ‘flunkey,’ and that he was ready to be initiated into the mysteries of the gang.
1873		Democrat & Chron. (Rochester, NY) 6 May 2/3: He is head flunkey and dirt-eater to every despicable titled thing.
1874		in J.H. Carter Log of Commodore Rollingpin 215: [song title] The Colored Flunky Band.
1894		G.A. Sala London up to Date 23: Aha! I hear my enemies ejaculate, Flunkey! Parasite! Snob! Toad-eater! Tuft-hunter! Flunkey!
1896		F. Hutcheson Barkeep Stories 12: ‘Just den up comes a Dutch flunkey wid a tray in his mitt an’ an order fer san’wiches’.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 5 Feb. 4/8: Captain Darvall’s flunky Scott / Set the pace up rather hot / It was plain that he was not / Cleaning knives.
1908		J. Kelley Thirteen Years in Oregon Penitentiary 66: The ‘head snitch’ is sometimes called the head flunkey.
1926		J. Tully Jarnegan (1928) 226: I left word that when Irene’s flunky came for the jewels he was to see me.
1931		W.N. Burns One-Way Ride 77: This man of the underworld [...] lived like a prince, surrounded by flunkies.
1940		E. O’Neill Long Day’s Journey into Night II ii: He may not be a fancy millionaire’s flunky but he’s honest!
1953		J. Thompson Alcoholics (1993) 61: He knew he was only a flunky.
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 24: The cats-paw, the slave, the hanger-on, the flunkey [...] the stooge.
1964		Larner & Tefferteller Addict in the Street (1966) 178: We were just flunkies, you know, working for someone higher.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 67: Reggie would strut around uptown with these two flunkies of his.
1984		C. White Life and Times of Little Richard 160: Richard, seated on an ornate throne, was carried in by sweating flunkies.
1999		Observer Mag. 11 July 29: Flunkies in caramel-coloured suits, walkie-talkies clamped to their ears.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 20: The pro said he showed up with two girls and some flunky.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 71/2: flunkie (also flunk) n. 1 an inmate, usually a gang prospect, who acts as a runner or a servant for another inmate, usually a patch member of a gang ( [...] 2 a new prison officer during his probationary period.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 40: Nick had thought the move from flunky to personal driver was a big deal.
2013		Mail & Guardian (SA) 12 July 🌐 In the good old days [...] you were schmoozed, treated like royalty, with a public relations flunky at your beck and call.
2016		D. Whish-Wilson Old Scores [ebook] ‘Fucken slumlord, more like it. He’s trying it on. Who’s his flunky? Real estate agent?’.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 45: Where does she list her friends, colleagues, flunkies [etc].

2. (US) an assistant cook in a mining or lumber camp.

1914		B.T. Harvey ‘Addenda – The Northwest’ in DN IV:ii 163: flunky, n. In mining and logging camps, a waiter.
1927		W. Edge Main Stem 158: At chow that night the flunkeys brought in great enamelled dishes of lamb-stew.
1938		(con. c.1910) S.H. Holbrook Holy Old Mackinaw 192: A cookee is here a flunkey.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1956		F.O. Beck Hobohemia 14: A new job is listed, ‘Flunky Wanted,’ six dollars a week and board.
1967		(con. 1920s) J. Thompson South of Heaven (1994) 45: The cook and his [...] flunkeys were now busy cleaning up.

3. (US black) an undistinguished person.

1965		S. Yurick Warriors (1966) 71: The coin flunky ducked in and down in his cage.
1969		Smith & Gay Heroin in Perspective (1972) 109: Face is a term applied to anyone on the street who is known as a creep, flunky, or nobody.
1983		N. Heard House of Slammers 87: Now to every stud but Honky Tonk Bud / He looked like an ordinary flunky.

4. attrib. use of sense 1.

1953		S. Bellow Augie March (1996) 189: I had [...] a flunky job, washing cages and sweeping up dogs’ hair.
1955		P. Rabe Benny Muscles In (2004) 177: Why do you think I run myself ragged doing flunky errands.