Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a nickname for a tall, thin person.

1849		Sam Sly 14 Apr. 2/3: Mary B—k—r, of Commercial-road East, not to get so beastly drunk when she is out with that Lanky-doodle.
1853		Dickens Bleak House (1991) 311: There is much reference to Mr. Snagsby whether he means Carrots, or the Colonel, or Gallows, or Young Chisel, or Terrier Tip, or Lanky, or the Brick.
1859		Bell’s Life in Tasmania 13 Sept. 3/6: His adversary [...] had a clean spare appearance about him, implying that he was ‘lanky’ by nature.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 159/1: The one as used to go out with Lankey Swipe.
1871		C. Money Knocking About in N.Z. 80: I worked with ‘Lanky’ for a month.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) V 915: We used to call her lanky, mopsticks, and scraggs.
1896		Regiment 23 May 119: [cartoon caption] This is not the smartest man in the Army, but simply Mr Lanky Juggins going to a fancy dress ball .
1912		E. Pugh Harry The Cockney 44: I shouldn’t like him to be a lanky [...] One o’ them there rashers o’ wind like Uncle Algernon.
1924		C.E. Mulford Hopalong Cassidy Returns 142: Only man I ever knew that could use a fifty footer an’ use it right, was Lanky Smith.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘When the Wind Blows’ in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 6 49: Knocky tried to hit Lanky and missed, and then Lanky hit him.
1943		(con. 1850–60s) G.A. Little Malachi Horan Remembers 39: ‘Lanky Tom Callaghan of the Hurley Foot’ was the name they had on him.
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 179: Coming along with a jug in each hand high in the air is Lanky Johnson [...] ‘Hey, Lank, have you seen the boys from 9 Section?’.
1962		(con. WWII) J.O. Killens And Then We Heard The Thunder (1964) 17: Lanky stood tall with his six-feet-five.
1988		Dandy Comic Library Special No. 11 50: Do you know a good way to waste money, Lanky?
1991		B. Quinn Smokey Hollow 26: Eh, Lanky, is it cold up there?