Suss

/sʌs/ verb

Definition

To figure out or discover something, often through investigation or intuition; to suspect or have a hunch about something.

Etymology

Short form of 'suspect,' emerging in slang, particularly British and Australian English, in the 20th century as informal speech patterns abbreviated longer words.

Kelly Says

British and Australian slang creates incredibly efficient words—'suss,' 'arvo' (afternoon), 'mate'—showing how spoken language constantly invents shortcuts that are so useful they sometimes enter formal dictionaries, proving slang isn't lazy speech but rather rapid innovation.

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