Intensifier adjectives

Someone has asked me the origin of 'stinking cold', as in 'I have a stinking cold'. Personally, I have no idea and there's nothing in our archive. I reckon it's just another emphasising adjective, but does anyone have any detail?
Thanks

There is no way that Briggsey cannot be right on this one. At least, in the U.S. there would be no doubt at all that someone with a "stinking cold" is just trying to say how thoroughly annoyed he is. SS

I've known people who'stink" when they are ill... but I tend to agree with Smokey on dis one. Dem colds are stinkas.

"Lousy" often accompanies "stinking" to show contempt. As in, "He offers me fifty bucks for that! Can you believe it? A lousy, stinkin' fifty bucks!"

There are a freakin' bucketload of intensifier adjectives, all of which mean "very," which serve to make the language more colorful, more euphonious, or more original. A flipping lot of them. A bloody parade of them. (You can even make up your own: "it's shudderacious cold out there." Nobody will misunderstand you.)