Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. defeated, finished.

1939–45		Expressions and Sayings 2NZEF (TS N.A. WA II DA) 420/1: Out the Monk-Finished-had it etc. Popularised in Syria at two-up [DNZE].
1944		NZEF Times 21 Aug. 5: Our water-bottles had had it (what’s known as ‘out the monk’) [DNZE].
1994		(ref. to WWII) L. Cleveland Dark Laughter 115: For most World War 2 soldiers the concept of death was masked by euphemisms like [...] out the monk. This last metaphor (derived from the gambling game of two-up) was used by New Zealanders to describe either death or states of insensibility or unconsciousness that were not necessarily brought about by violence.

2. unconscious, asleep, often the result of drunkenness.

1945		NZEF Times 5 Feb. 4: When jokers go out the monk on vodka they have to build an inacke around them before they wake up [DNZE].
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 135: And those drunken sprees helped the others to forget. But no-one ever saw him out the monk. No-one ever saw Mick paralytic.
1965		J. Watson Stand in Rain 135: Tony saw Dick and Fred out the monk under them pine trees by the lake yesterday [DNZE].
1976		R. Morrieson Pallet on the Floor 69: It’s Jack Voot, real shickered. Looks like he’s out the monk.
1994		see sense 1.

3. disabled through illness or lack of some essential.

1946		E.G. Webber glossary in Johnny Enzed in Italy Thirteen List: Army medical list showing personnel stricken by palsy, out the monk, or otherwise sick and ailing [DNZE].
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 331: Let jerry plug away till he’s sick of it and out the monk for petrol.
1995		G. Slatter One More River 112: We rolled on-without a check except for a platoon truck put out the monk by a mine [DNZE].