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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GUNK, n., v. Also †gonk, †gounk, †gank. [gʌŋk]

I. n. 1. A bitter disappointment (Uls. 1924 North. Whig (3 Jan.); Lnk., Ayr. 1955), gen. in such phrs, as to do a gunk (on somebody), to gie (somebody) the gunk, to cause (someone) chagrin or mortification, to disappoint, to jilt (someone) (Peb., ‡Ayr., Wgt., Uls. 1955).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 82:
What ganks I met with, now I sanna tell, But at the last upo' a burn I fell.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems 168:
Altho' she was hecht tae Geordie Bowse, She's gi'en him the gunk, an' she's gaun wi' Willy.Rnf. 1841 R. Skimming Lays 27:
Wi' the Taylor she's fa'en foul, And fairly now the gounk she's gien ye.Ayr. 1901 “G. Douglas” Green Shutters xvi.:
Barbie boys were always coming back to “do a gunk” and “play a chaw” on young Gourlay by boasting their knowledge of the world, winking at each other the while to observe his grinning anger.

Hence gunkie, a dupe (Rxb. (Tvtd.) 1825 Jam., ‡1923 Watson W.-B.).

2. A dunce, blockhead (Ant. 1900 E.D.D.; Ayr. 1955).

II. v. To disappoint, to jilt, to mortify (Ayr.⁴ 1928; Arg.¹ 1930; Uls.³ 1955; (Uls. 1990s; Sh., Ayr. 2000s).). Gen. found in ppl.adj.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 125:
He was singing fu' merry, How Black Douglass, the bluidy wight, Was gonked at Raeberry.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
“Greatly gunked,” “sorely gunked,” or “quarely gunked,” are common ways in which this word is used.Ayr. 1901 “G. Douglas” Green Shutters xiii.:
Gourlay was cut to the quick. His face shewed how gunkit he was.Uls. 1935 Times (19 June) 15:
The group of “gunked” people . . . led by Sir Stafford who are mortified by the discovery that their advice has been ignored.

Hence ‡1. gunker, a mortifying disappointment (Arg.³ 1955); †2. gunkerie, duping, trickery (Rxb. 1825 Jam.).1. Arg.¹ 1930:
She got a wild gunker aathegither.