Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a general intensifier; usu. in whacking great, whacking horrible etc.

1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 289: He kill’d a whacking great dun cow.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) II 27: [as cit. 1772].
1805		J. Davis Post Captain (1813) 17: She looks, sir, like a whacking frigate .
1808		‘Paddy MacShane’s Seven Ages’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 512: A great big whacking chairman of Ballyporeen.
1818		‘A. Burton’ Adventures of Johnny Newcome II 66: John had got a whacking Kit, Shirts, Jackets, Hose, and Shoes, to wit.
1821–6		‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 84: Bring me in [...] a whacking share of his honour’s reward.
1834		‘Pat Fagan’ in Black Joke 13: Six whacking big chairmen in togs queerly dressed, / Supported poor Pat to his last home of rest.
1837		N.Y. Times 27 2/5: [A thief is caught] with a precious whacking ham, (to use the watchman’s phrase).
1840		T. Haliburton Letter-bag of the Great Western (1873) 42: Yes, my dear fellow, if you want to see the world, take a trip in the Great Western, or some of those whacking large Atlantic steamers.
1841		‘Miss Muggins’s Maid’ Dublin Comic Songster 298: Up the area, one day, Betty flung, / Such a whacking love-letter for me.
1849		‘Prophecy for 1850’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 123: Old Welling [...] with his great whacking nose, sir / With a donkey cart is going out a gathering old clothes, sir.
1850		Old Glasgow Street Songs n.p.: When I got to the door, who do you think it was? / Why a whacking bum-bailiff.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1863		‘Paddy McShane’s Seven Ages’ in Donnybrook-Fair Comic Songster 35: A great, big, whacking chairman of Ballyporeen!
1866		Wild Boys of London I 7/1: My big brother ain’t no right to hit me over the nut with a wacking great stick.
1875		Wagga Wagga Advertiser 23 Oct. 4/2: She came in for this whacking fortune.
1876		J. Greenwood Low-Life Deeps 280: A whackin’ all-hot Christmas pudding, as big – ah! pretty nigh as big as that woman’s umbrella.
1883		J. Greenwood Odd People in Odd Places 176: They should probably get ‘a whacking lot’ for their money.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 280: Along with the whacking big reward that was offered for all of us, a good many coves as fancied themselves a bit had turned amateur policemen.
1892		Kipling ‘Mandalay’ in Barrack-Room Ballads (1893) 191: I seed her first a-smokin’ of a whackin’ white cheroot.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 94: [A] whacking fellow, a big or great fellow.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 20 July 666: He gave me a whacking cake too.
1912		J. London Smoke Bellew Pt 10 🌐 Gautereaux’s his name a whackin’ big, blue-eyed French-Canadian husky.
1914		Hull Dly Mail 23 Apr. 3/7: The mother lifted her paw and gave the little imp a whacking spank.
1920		B. Cronin Timber Wolves 25: The margin seems wide enough to allow you a whacking big profit.
1930		W.S. Maugham Bread-Winner Act I: He had a whacking fat cheque in his pocket.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson The Shearer’s Colt 24: I made me money, and he thought he’d get a whacking big subscription.
1948		C. Day Lewis Otterbury Incident 15: He’s a whacking great bad-tempered thug of a man.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 275: You get a whacking good view of the harbour from it.
1955		Picture Post 23 July 7: Hedges – whacking great hedges!
1963		Beano 27 July n.p.: What’s this? A whacking great birthday cake!
1976		C. Dexter Last Seen Wearing in Second Morse Omnibus (1994) 516: Abortions still get done unofficially – no doubt for a whacking private fee.
1984		A. Sayle Train to Hell 101: Pointing whacking great cameras at you and telling you to just act natural.