Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (mainly UK public school) chemistry, as a subject; also attrib.

1869		W. Bradwood O.V.H. I 65: He had abandoned further classics in final schools, and was aiming sedulously at a class in ‘stinks’.
1875		Liverpool Mercury 3 Aug. 6/4: The subjects to be taken up are biology, chemistry (which may be called ‘stinks’ proper), and physics.
1891		T.B. Reed Cock House Fellsgarth 56: ‘[S]tinks’ — (the strictly Classical nickname for chemistry).
1898		Adams Co. Free Press (Corning, IA) 24 Feb. 3/6: In this days boys clasified chemistry as ‘stinks’.
1902		Worcs. Chron. 9 Aug.6/5: Classics c. ‘Stinks’ [...] They were told the great thing was to have a modern side, and what [...] was called ‘stinks’ was now called chemistry.
1914		‘Ian Hay’ Lighter Side of School Life 116: It would be a good thing to enrol as member some one who understood ‘Chemistry and Stinks generally’.
1922		(con. 1900s) S. Leslie Oppidan 13: He learnt the important differences [...] between swipes and swiping, between whiffs and stinks.
1939		P. Cheyney Don’t Get Me Wrong (1956) 81: The best thing these boys can do is go live [...] miles an’ miles away from anywhere, an’ go ahead with their own particular stinks factory.
1942		Bath Chron. 16 May 7/5: No ‘Stinks’ for Smith Major Just Yet. [...] There are no bunsen burners and no flasks [...] in fact, no chemistry ‘lab’ at all.
1948		Londonderry Sentinel 5 June 6/5: [advert] Remember young ‘Stinks’ Mason and his Chemical Set?
1958		Willans & Searle Complete Molesworth (1985) 61: They called it stinks.

2. a chemistry teacher.

1930		Nottingham Eve. Post 11 July 7/4: ‘Stinks’ has been the title of chemistry masters for generations.
1976		Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) 28 Mar. 138/2: He did get some excellent teachers [...] They bore such irreverent names as ‘Stink’ Saunders (chemistry).