Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) drunk.

a.1856		Burlington Sentinel in Hall (1856) 461: We give a list of a few of the various words and phrases which have been in use, at one time or another, to signify some stage of inebriation: [...] cronk.
1908		E.G. Murphy ‘Apples’ in Jarrahland Jingles 165: The loyal liquor they were swilling [...] whenever there’s a plentitude of amber eau-de-vie, Cronk sentiment is equally abundant.

2. (Aus.) dishonest, illegal, untrustworthy; also as adv.

1889		implied in cronk ’un below.
1893		Herald (Melbourne) 4 July 2/7: He said he would dispose of the cloth at a moderate figure because it was ‘cronk.’ The word ‘cronk’ [...] means ‘not honestly come by.’.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 May 24/1: When [he...] won his several heats, almost every other man left in the final accused him of ‘cronk’ performances, threatened to have his scalp, and declared that, if he won, they’d have him ‘rubbed out.’.
1904		H. Lawson ‘Ballad of the Elder Son’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 77: I’ve been a fool [...] I guess I’ll talk the guv’nor round: ‘I’ve acted cronk,’ I’ll tell him straight.
c.1905		J. Furphy Rigby’s Romance (1921) Ch. xxx: 🌐 Ain’t the law a (adj.) sight unfairer every way nor the cronkest gamblin’?
1914		H. Lawson ‘“I’ll Bide”’ in Roderick (1972) 823: I made up my mind to have a a shot at that gate [...] ’n’ see if there was anything cronk about the place.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 143: Yet other racing expressions moved into the general vernacular, including cronk meaning crooked or bad (now largely unheard).

3. (Aus.) counterfeit.

1894		Truth (Sydney) 28 Oct. 4/8: What about that cronk fiver? [...] I got plenty more of ’em. ’Ere goes to smash one now .
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 17 Jan. 12/4: Someone had ‘rung in’ cronk coin on them.
1913		Sun (Kalgoorlie) 6 July 16/3: ‘The motorman waited outside the bank while I went in to cash the £100 cheque, but I slipped the cronk cheque into my coat pocket and cashed some good notes’ .

4. (Aus.) sick, ill.

1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 21 Sept. 5/1: Instead of saying [...] ‘He’s a cronk ’un’ peds say now, ‘e’s an Evangelist’.
1894		H. Lawson ‘Martin Farrell’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 269: There is nothing you can do, lads, but I thank you, all the same; / I am pretty cronk and shaky — too far gone for hell or heaven.
1898		Broadford Courier (Vic.) 25 Feb. 5/3: No one is ever ill only ‘a trifle off color,’ or, in more severe cases, ‘feel cronk,’ or ‘crook,’ or even ‘shicker.’ .
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1905		H. Lawson ‘Joseph’s Dreams and Reuben’s Brethren’ in Roderick II (1967–9) 107: And Joseph, passing through, / Asked them if they were feeling cronk, / And why they looked so blue?
1905		L. Lawson Lonely Crossing n.p.: Then kindly spoke old Daddy Tonk: / ‘Don’t look so glum, my lad; / Is she, your missus, very cronk?’ / ‘Yes, mate,’ said Tom, ‘she’s - bad’ .
1933		(ref. to 1890-1910) L.G.D. Acland Early Canterbury Runs (1951) 372: Cronk – Ill, not at all well.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 32/1: cronk ill; originally among shearers; since 1880s of a horse made to appear ill to cheat its backers; from German ‘krank’, ill.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

5. (Aus.) of fruit, vegetables etc, rotten.

1900

Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Dec. 11/4: The habit of placing good fruit on top and cronk fruit underneath may be orthodox enough, but it is none the less contrary to Christian religion.

6. problematical, ‘wrong’.

1894		‘The Rocks Push Eisteddfod’ in Bird o’ Freedom (Sydney) in J. Murray Larrikins (1973) 88: O, crikey! what’s gone cronk?
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Jan. 10/4: Barman: ‘Well, Jimmy, what’s cronk this morning?’ / Jimmy: ‘Oh, nothink; only me wife’s ’usband come ’ome last night an’ kicked up awful.’.
1907		‘A Cronk Camp’ Truth (Wellington) 19 Jan. 5: A Cronk Camp Where Navvies scoff Flyblown ‘Scran’.