Lately, “Sus” has become popular on the internet. Like hundreds of abbreviations, it is also widely used as internet jargon since the online game ‘Among Us’ came into the limelight. By now you might know what does “Sus” mean but do you really think it’s just a slang word? Or does it have something about it. Well, it has a history back and that makes it sound serious. What’s that, read on to know more.
What Does “Sus” Mean?
According to the urban dictionary ‘’Sus” is a shorthand for “suspect or suspicious “. In simple words, when anything or anyone sounds suspicious or untrustworthy, it can be used.
When was the word “Sus” first used?
In the 1930s, this word was first used in England and Wales as police jargon. It has a history back to 1821 when a law named ‘Sus Law’ was enacted. As per British law, the British police were empowered to arrest anyone who was or was supposed to be suspected of committing an offense.
Unfortunately, it turned down its purpose and became a tool of racism. The law created chaos and used violently that it had to be repealed in 1931.
This word then and now has been used by police as ‘Suss out’ referring to the discovery of crucial evidence or an investigation.
When did it become popular?
Lately, a crime (suspicion) theme-based online game ‘Among Us’, used this word. In this game, the crewmates are given a task to find the imposter among them based on the events and each player’s activity in the game. The crewmates can even chat and discuss if they doubt the same player.
Like Among Us, in popular internet games on YouTube and Twitch, the players use this word when they suspect something treacherous. Further, if you have noticed, many crimes show use the idiom “Suss out” predominantly when the truth is revealed after a decade. Many crimes show or suspense shows use the idiom in their script.
Is it just slang?
Eventually, it became slang. It evolved as police jargon, now popular as internet jargon. Apart from that, you will have people using this word in their conversations. You can use the slang for two distinct reasons i.e., Sus people and Sus things.
Sus People: Imagine you have a friend who asks for your mobile password, you can refer him/her to sus or just say, “That’s sus!”
Sus Thing: In 2018, Elon Musk also used this word while tweeting about a car and its color. The tweet was,
Conclusion
The Internet has given birth to many abbreviations. Call it the paucity of time or influence of chats and messengers, the internet abbreviations are worth in all manners. Like Sus, many internet jargons such as LOL (Laughing Out Loud), ASAP (As Soon As Possible), IMO (In My Opinion), and many are accessed all over the world.
Thanks for reading the above article on what does “Sus” mean and feel free to ask your queries or give suggestions.