Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US) disgusting, nasty, inferior; dangerous.

[1854		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 13 Mat n.p.: E. L—op, alias Stinky [...] made a perfect ass of himself].
1914		E. Pugh Cockney At Home 154: You said so to the stinky gentleman.
1934		B. Appel Brain Guy (1937) 120: The story was that Schneck swiped the cab so in case things got stinky, Schneck’s brother’d be clean.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 82: We set t’rough two stinky shows.
1959		J. Thompson Getaway in Four Novels (1983) 67: You’re an old stinky booger man.
1960		G. Swarthout Where the Boys Are 115: I just consider it sort of stinky to a young man on the basis of when he’s old.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 374: Stinky (occasionally a more or less affectionate nickname).
1999		Observer Mag. 7 Nov. 17: When Meet Joe Black came out, you got a pretty stinky ride.