Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) constr. with the, the truth, the facts, the essential information; thus what’s the strong of it? what is the truth? what are the precise facts?

[1817		Sydney Gaz. 11 Jan. 3/1: I had nearly concluded this letter, when an acquaintance came in posthaste to pay me a visit, and still harping on the same strong gave me to understand that all the four score [ph]onolgists [...] were then assembled].
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 23 June 4/7: It’s a monty that Greville and Grenike know / The strong of ‘invisible pepper and salt’.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Oct. 14/3: Nothin’ like travellin’ to git th’ strong ov th’ species.
1918		Aussie (France) Dec. 5/1: Now, look here, Johnno, I believe you know something of this damned business; what’s the strong of it?
1919		W.H. Downing Digger Dialects 26: get the strength (or strong) of — Become possessed of sufficient information to enable one to form a correct judgement in regard to the matter in question.
1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 371: He’s been swingin’ me off for a week. It’s only when I asked Bill Wrench that I got the strong of the sod.
1949		L. Glassop Lucky Palmer 42: What’s the strong of this government?
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 150: I don’t get the strong of that Christ joker.
1959		D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) 57: Jesus, you’ve got me beat Blondie. I can’t get the strong of you at all.
1963		(con. 1944) L. Glassop Rats in New Guinea 61: What’s the strong of the Kokoda Trail.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 25: So one day He gives ’em the strong of it.
1986		R. Beckett Dinkum Aussie Dict. 49: Strong: As in, ‘What’s the strong of this?’, meaning, ‘What in the name of hell is going on?’.