cook

   1. to kill

   Perhaps not from the usual culinary imagery, despite the attractions of derivation from cook your goose, to cause to fail. Possibly from execution by electricity:

    Those fucking sketches could cook him if we found the girl. (Sanders, 1977)

   Also of stock in a dry country:

    A drought... would cook half the stock in the country. (Boldrewood, 1890)

   2. fraudulently to alter

   As in the common cook the books, to prepare accounts falsely, from the culinary art of rearranging ingredients to make a more acceptable dish. Sometimes also of records of events:

    It is better not to use the word 'cook' in connection with either books or minutes. (Lynn and Jay, 1989)

   The phrase was first used of the 'Railway King', George Hudson, who, after overreaching himself, falsified accounts so as to pay dividends out of capital. Among other achievements, he devised the now universal 'clearing' system for shared public services.

   3. an addict who ingests heated illegal narcotics

   Formerly of opium only, when heated over a flame.