Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to take unfair advantage of.

1853		H.B. Jones Adventures in Aus. 216: Doubtless, as the colony advances, this spirit of ‘pointing’ will disappear, and a fair legitimate system of trading and commerce will be introduced [AND].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1886		J.F. Steel Miscarriage of Justice 14: There is the glaring swindling of the tan-dealer and the frequent ‘pointing’ of the cashier [AND].
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 59: Point, to cheat.
1903		Sporting News (Launceston) 14 Mar. 4/3: A great number hooted […] at what they ignorantly termed ‘Taylor’s pointing’ in forcing Morgan into the lead [AND].
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘Doreen’ in Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 34: A bloke ’ud be a dawg to kid a skirt / Like her. An’ me well knowin’ she was square. / It ’ud be dirt! / ’E’d be no man to point wiv her, an’ kid .
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 POINT, TO—Take advantage; to contrive unfairly.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. 55: point to, to take an unfair advantage of a person, to loaf, to impose on, to malinger. Whence ‘pointer’: one who does these things; ‘pointing’: the practice.

2. to waste time, to malinger.

1933		J. Truran Where the Plain Begins 270: I ’aven’t known yer twenty year for nothing, Martha. Y’always were a pointer, me dear, but you’re not goin’ to point on me. If you’re crook, then so is our old ’orse, an’ ’e don’t miss ’is tucker any more’n you do.
1959		Baker Drum.

3. to murder using a knife or similar weapon.

1980

T. Lewis GBH 159: ‘So that the Sheps can take her over to Amsterdam and point her, us thinking Ray did her in’.