Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. information; often as inside skinny, hot skinny.

1958		(con. 1950) E. Frankel Band of Brothers 17: ‘What’s the skinny?’ Monk Nelson asked Firesteen.
1965		H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 163: I’ve heard about it, but not much. What’s the skinny?
1967		Current Sl. II:2 18: Hot skinny, n. The truth, the ‘straight word,’ the ‘true poop.’.
1973		Atlantic Monthly May 45: It was clear to everyone that he had inside information, ‘inside skinny’.
1973		National Rev. 14 Sept. 1007: To get the real inside skinny we shall have to wait until you-know-who’s memoirs tell us what the butler really saw.
1988		(con. 1940s) C. Bram Hold Tight (1990) 107: Working in the chartroom I get the real skinny.
1995		A. Heckerling Clueless [film script] These guys here have got the skinny on the happenin’ after hours.
2004		(con. 1980) N. ‘Razor’ Smith A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 220: Turkey-Neck Steve was lying low, having heard the skinny that I was out and looking to open him up.
2008		Simon & Burns ‘Cradle of Civilization’ Generation Kill ep. 2 [TV script] What’s the skinny on who we’re fighting in the city?
2012		(con. 1954) ‘Jack Tunney’ Tomato Can Comeback [ebook] I got the skinny from Kilbane and was able to scoop the Daily News on the Braxton rematch.
2018		T. Pluck ‘Hot Rod Heart’ in Life During Wartime 120: ‘So give me the skinny’.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 17: Duke [i.e. John Wayne] paid me five yards and gave me the skinny on Red Hollywood.

2. the truth.

1987

(con. 1968) Bunch & Cole Reckoning for Kings (1989) 278: Damn sure G-2 won’t give us the real skinny.