Oh, spellcheck, “suss” is indeed a word, even though it seems to be flagged often. It’s red-flagged “spelling mistakes” like this that make you seem kind of “sus” yourself actually, spellcheck. See what I did there?
Are you having “sus” vs. “suss” confusion, folks?
New slang often slips into the public vernacular, but in some instances, it mimicks existing words, which adds a degree of confusion when someone tries to write, tweet, or text. So to ensure we’re all on the same page, here’s what you need to know about this duo:
- “Suss,” which is nearly always paired with the word “out,” means to investigate or figure (out). For example, “She was trying to suss out the origin of that word.”
- “Sus,” which is slang or a non-standard usage, comes from an abbreviation of “suspicious.” For example, “I hope no one ever thinks my writing tips are sus.”
Perhaps the reason many spellcheck programs take issue with “suss” is because it in itself is a fairly new word—not as new as the recently popular “sus,” but new by English language measures. Merriam Webster notes that the first known usage of “suss out” was in 1966. Interestingly, both of these words do come from the Latin word suspectare. In the case of “suss,” it derives from the closely related English word “suspect.”
In short, if you’ve been trying to suss out the meaning of “sus” vs. “suss” and how to spell these words, you should be all set. Spellcheck programs might sometimes be suspicious, but let me confirm your suspicions: both are indeed words. You just have to know the difference between them—and perhaps when it may or may not be appropriate to use slang.
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