# Me, You, They, It, We, Work.......sucks **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500 "2007-08-05T10:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/1 "2007-08-05T10:38:25Z")
So how did the expression come about. Why “sucks” ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/2 "2007-08-05T10:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] So how did the expression come about. Why “sucks” [/QUOTE] Because “blows” just doesn’t work? Oh, wait. My initial reaction is that it is a sexual reference. A quick Google provides some [back-up](http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifsckbvrynstsfyng.shtml) for this: > [@](#): > > suck" started out as a sexual insult, > e.g., “Charlie sucks”, what he sucks being unnecessary to spell out. > As a term of general disapproval it did not take long to be applied > to all sorts of things, animate and inanimate, to the point where it > is now used by all manner of people, small children included, > without any consciousness whatsoever of the sexual origin of the > term. I don’t, however, have any information as to the reliability of Mr. Davies’ website on this. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/3 "2007-08-05T11:23:22Z")
I used to hear “sucks shit” before I started hearing “sucks”. It’s always been a surprise that this seems to have become acceptable, but I sure wouldn’t use it in polite company. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/4 "2007-08-05T13:28:10Z")
I have heard that the term “Sucks” originated among Soldiers in WW2. A chest wound that “Sucked” when a person inhaled was very bad, as it meant that the person’s lung cavity had been pierced, and they were likely to die. The original term was “sucks wind”, IE: " This stew sucks wind!" I don’t know if that relates or grew into to the sexual term, however. Regards FML ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/5 "2007-08-05T15:04:43Z")
There may not be a definitive answer, but [this article](http://www.mtannoyances.com/?p=358) has some good speculations. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/6 "2007-08-05T15:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=Full Metal Lotus] I have heard that the term “Sucks” originated among Soldiers in WW2. A chest wound that “Sucked” when a person inhaled was very bad, as it meant that the person’s lung cavity had been pierced, and they were likely to die. The original term was “sucks wind”, IE: " This stew sucks wind!" I don’t know if that relates or grew into to the sexual term, however. Regards FML [/QUOTE] Much more recently the Motto was “A sucking chest wound is natures way of telling you that you’re going to die”,a doctor informed me recently that its not necessarily true but I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for the proof of it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/7 "2007-08-05T15:44:08Z")
Regardless of its origin, certainly when I was in high school in the 1960s in the Bronx the term was generally understood to refer to fellatio, most usually as the insult “You suck!” and less often extended to situations (“it sucks”). It most definitely was not a term to be used in mixed company, being regarded as obscene. It still sometimes gives me pause when I hear the phrase being bandied about by preteens. ---
**Author:** ![xkcd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/5f9b8f/32.png) [@xkcd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xkcd)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/8 "2007-08-05T19:41:12Z")
According to wikipedia, both ‘sucks’ and ‘blows’ orignially referred to dick. They became acceptable over time. This is known as the Dysphemism Treadmill. > **[Dysphemism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphemism#The_.E2.80.9CDysphemism_Treadmill.E2.80.9D)** > > A dysphemism is an expression with connotations that are derogatory either about the subject matter or to the audience. Dysphemisms contrast with neutral or euphemistic expressions. Dysphemism may be motivated by fear, distaste, hatred, contempt, or humour. > The word dysphemism was composed from the Greek elements dys δύς "mis-" and pheme φήμη "speech, voice, reputation" in the late 19th century. Related terms include malphemism (from the Latin malus "bad"), and cacophemism (from the Greek kakos ... ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/9 "2007-08-05T19:56:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Much more recently the Motto was “A sucking chest wound is natures way of telling you that you’re going to die”,a doctor informed me recently that its not necessarily true but I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for the proof of it myself. [/QUOTE] Although trying to hold your breath with a sucking chest wound might be an entertaining way of passing those last few moments before death. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/10 "2007-08-05T20:24:32Z")
“Sucks ass” is common, too, but I’m a little vague on it’s meaning. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/11 "2007-08-05T20:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Much more recently the Motto was “A sucking chest wound is natures way of telling you that you’re going to die”,a doctor informed me recently that its not necessarily true but I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for the proof of it myself. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard they have field thoracocentesis kits now. I’d rather get shot in the lung then in the face, groin or the heart. Then again I’d rather not get shot. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/me-you-they-it-we-work-sucks/414500/12 "2007-08-05T20:26:58Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] Regardless of its origin, certainly when I was in high school in the 1960s in the Bronx the term was generally understood to refer to fellatio, most usually as the insult “You suck!” and less often extended to situations (“it sucks”). It most definitely was not a term to be used in mixed company, being regarded as obscene. It still sometimes gives me pause when I hear the phrase being bandied about by preteens. [/QUOTE] Or on the TeeVee.