Green’s Dictionary of Slang

scunner n.

(US/Aus.) extreme dislike, hostility.

1875		Mercury (Fitzroy, Vic.) 15 May 2/1: My Auntie Kirsty had taken a scunner (loathing) to Glasgow.
1893		Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) 17 Oct. 3/7: But oh! Tasmania, it now gives us the scunner.
1906		Sydney Morn. Herald 9 Aug. 5/5: The only effect of sending boys there will be to give them what is called in Scotland ’a scunner’ against country life.
1908		L. Doyle Ballygullion 43: That give him a scunner again law and lawyers that just made his name for iver.
1916		Burra Record (SA) 15 Nov. 3/4: ‘To a Soger’s Louse’ Wee scamperin’ irritatin’ scunner.
1925		L. Doyle Dear Ducks 213: He always took a terrible scunner at the ass when he had porther in him, but was very fond of the wife.
1930		Brisbane Courier 11 Jan. 16/2: I wonder how many [girls] could stand a few draws on a ‘cutty’. Perhaps they would get such a ‘scunner’ they would never smoke again.
1971		E. Taylor Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (1982) 19: ‘I’ve taken a scunner against the young.’ She affected such Scottish words.
1945		Sydney Morn. Herald 4 Aug. 9/1: What a scunner the government must have on women.
1950		‘Neville Shute’ Town Like Alice 113: ‘Why didn’t you stay out there and get a job? You knew the country so well.’ ‘I had a scunner of it, then – in 1945. We were all dying to get home.’.
1983		P. Devlin All of Us There 106: Bad cess to him, and his breed, seed and generation, wouldn’t he give you the scunder looking at him.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

In phrases

take a scunner to (v.)

to conceive a dislike for.

1875, 1925, 1971		see sense 1.
1898		Argus (Melbourne) 18 Aug. 7/8: She said he had taken a ‘scunner‘ to him, which I underastand to be the Scotch expression for nausea.
1949		‘Josphine Tey’ Brat Farrar 148: ‘Why do you think he didn’t take any interest in us after he left?’ ‘Perhaps he took what old Nannie used to call a “scunner” to us’.
1951		S. Hanna Bell December Bride 184: You’ve taken a very sudden scunner at the Dineens.
1954		J. Steinbeck Sweet Thursday (1955) 96: The whole Row took a scunner to him.