cook, n.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cook n.²

[rhy. sl.; but note Yid. guck, a look, a glance, usu. in phr. ‘geb a guck’, have a look]

(Aus./N.Z.) a look, a glance.

1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 31 Oct. 1/3: A ‘cook’ at the chivvys of the ‘Tommys’ that bet at Brighton [...] shows they are as hard as No 1 Kiama blue metal.
1907		N.Z. Truth 30 Nov. 2/2: I had a good cook at him.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 23 Jan. 2nd sect. 4/8: The noble ‘sports,’ the snug and snide, / Whose hands for toil don’t itch, / Stroll down the street with lordly stride / To have a ‘cook’ at Kitch.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang.