The Rice University Neologisms Database

Trashy; slutty; sleazy At first, I thought “skanky” meant smelly because the word has similar form compare to the word “skunk.” However, this was not the case. The term is a slang term to describe someone (usually a female) who dresses trashy and slutty. Usually, a girl that is “skanky” is very “easy.” The term comes from “skank,” a type of reggae dance dating back to the 70s; the dance was very sexually suggestive. In the mid 80s, the term was used as a way to say “ugly / smelly.” According to TodaysParent.com, “In June 1986, the New Jersey Record ran an article featuring this quote: ‘Some of the bathrooms are so skanky that you’re almost afraid to go in.’” As time progressed, the term became what it is known as today.