suss

See also: Suss, Süss, süss, and süß

English

Alternative forms

• sus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sʌs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌs
• Homophone: sus

Etymology 1

Noun

suss (plural susses)

1. Alternative form of soss (“miry place”)

Etymology 2

Clipping of suspicious.

Adjective

suss (comparative more suss, superlative most suss)

1. (UK, Australia, New Zealand, US, colloquial) Suspicious.
   • 2001, Mo Hayder, The Treatment, 2008, Bantam, UK, page 244,

     ‘Yes – OK, OK. Try not to struggle, Tracey. It just makes you look even more suss.’

   • 2009, Barbara Ward Smith, Dead Centre: Murder Mystery, AuthorHouse, UK, page 191,

     I think it was Amber Johnson dressed up said Marc, but its proving it, we don′t have much to go on according to her said Jan her friend has been driving her car, yes very convenient said Marc and it′s even more suss that this friend has gone on holiday, did she ever give us the name of this mystical friend? Asked Jan.

Noun

suss (uncountable)

1. (UK) Suspicious behaviour; the act of loitering with intent.

Related terms

• suss law

Verb

suss (third-person singular simple present susses, present participle sussing, simple past and past participle sussed)

1. (transitive, UK, obsolete) To arrest for suspicious behaviour.

Etymology 3

From suspect; originally suss out (“to investigate”).

Verb

suss (third-person singular simple present susses, present participle sussing, simple past and past participle sussed)

1. (transitive, UK, Australia, New Zealand, often with "out") To discover, infer or figure out.
   • 1993, “Emergency On Planet Earth”, performed by Jamiroquai:

     Think we're standing for injustice / White gets two and black gets five years / Well it took me quite a while to suss this

   • 2007, Alex Caldon, The Quest for Truth, page 107:

     This David did without the crook knowing he had been sussed out. […] When David returned home after sussing this new crook, he made sure one or two key people were informed about his true nature, and they were all then further protected.

   • 2007, Jenny Ainslie-Turner, Jolene: A Fiery Redhead Who Loves Talking Dirty: True Life Autobiography of a 1-2-1 Chat Girl, page 43:

     For some other guys who′ve sussed me out, it′s taken them quite some time. A certain regular of mine comes through three or four times a night, but not every night. […] That said, this regular never sussed for a hell of a long time.

   • 2008, David Burchell, Trying to find the sunny side of life, Tony Jones, Best Australian Political Writing, page 275,

     It occurred to me that Matt′s mates, far from being proper objects of solicitation and sympathy, actually must feel they had life sussed.

2. (transitive, UK, Australia, New Zealand) To study or size up, to check out (examine).

Derived terms

• suss out

Related terms

• sussed (adjective)

Noun

suss (uncountable)

1. (UK) Social nous.
   • 1995, Philip Caveney, Skin Flicks, published 2012, unnumbered page:

     ‘I′m surprised at you, Danny Weston! I thought you had a bit more suss than this. I never thought you were capable of something so ... silly.’

   • 1996, Phil Healey, Rick Glanvill, Now That′s What I Call Urban Myths, page 138:

     The next painter the sultan approached was a sly old dog with more suss than a Cockney two-card trickster.

   • 1996, Mick Middles, Factory: The Story of the Record Label, published 2011, unnumbered page:

     ‘I always was the true fucking star of this band. They uaed to say I was the fifth member ... I′m the first fucking member. Always was and always will be a star ... that′s me. Fucking Wythenshawe taking over Washington, that′s what this is, miles more suss we have than any of these bastards.’

   • 2001, Victoria Mary Clarke, A Drink With Shane MacGowan, published 2012, unnumbered page:

     No, not cynicism, just fucking suss, David Bowie has more suss than the fucking people that are trying to put him through the mincer.

Anagrams

• USSS