Origin of "sucks"

[DAVEW0071]

As in “Ya-boo, sucks to you.” Or “Sucks to your ass-mar.”

Obviously, I understand the fellatio origin of saying something sucks, but in the contexts above (which are both British, by the way, the former from Black Adder, the latter from Lord of the Flies), where did it come from and what does it mean?

[peepthis]

I’m getting a workout on the OED tonight:

11. pl. as int. Used as an expression of contempt, chiefly by children. Also in phr. sucks to you and varr. slang.

1913 C. MACKENZIE Sinister Street I. I. vii. 98 This kid’s in our army, so sucks! 1922 F. HAMILTON P.J.: Secret Service Boy iv. 178 ‘S’, he announced, ‘u,c,k,s,t,o,y,o,u.’ 1935 N. MITCHISON We have been Warned I. 28 Brian is a baby. Oh sucks, oh sucks on Brian. 1945 E. WAUGH Brideshead Revisited II. v. 287 It’s great sucks to Bridey. 1952 ‘C. BRAND’ London Particular xv. 191 A most regretable air of sucks to you. 1968 Melody Maker 30 Nov. 24/5 This is a rotten recordyah boo and sucks. 1974 Times 4 Mar. 9/5 Sucks boo, then, with acting like this, to that new National Theatre down the road. 1978 ‘J. LYMINGTON’ Waking of Stone ii. 45 ‘Sucks to you!’ she said…tossing her head so her pigtails swung. 1983 Listener 19 May 11/1 The council treated the urbane Mr Cook to the politician’s equivalent of ‘Yah, boo, sucks’.

Of all the other dozens of entries for “suck,” there’s no indication of where exactly it derived from in this particular slang form.

[Fear_Itself]

“Sucks to your ass-mar” is from William Gouldings’s *Lord of the Flies":

“Piggy tip-toed down the sandy side of the pool, and sat there up to his neck in water smiling proudly at Ralph.

‘Aren’t you going to swim? ’

Piggy shook his head.

‘I can’t swim. I wasn’t allowed. My asthma----’

‘Sucks to your ass-mar!’ ”

[occ]

He mentioned that, ya dork!

But seriously, I think its related to “suck eggs” (although in modern connotation its often assumed to mean “sucks dick”). What the hell “suck eggs” means is anyones guess.

[DAVEW0071]

“Sucks to your ass-mar” is from William Gouldings’s Lord of the Flies"

He mentioned that, ya dork!

Yes, and I was pretty sure it didn’t originate with this author, but rather he was using a slang term already widely known.

But seriously, I think its related to “suck eggs” (although in modern connotation its often assumed to mean “sucks dick”). What the hell “suck eggs” means is anyones guess.

That’s a pretty good idea. I hadn’t thought of that, although now you’ve mentioned it, it makes sense. I think such henhouse predators as weasels and skunks are known to sneak in at night and suck eggs, thus the act of sucking would be that of a craven nogoodnik. Isn’t there a quote from either Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer to the effect that a person who will do [something, I forget what] would suck eggs? This would also be a boyish taunt, and I could see it moving from that (circa 1880 - 90) to early 20th Century “sucks to you!” In other words, a shorthand version of telling someone he’s a lousy egg-sucker.

Thanks! At least this isn’t so mystifying now.

[Fear_Itself]

*Originally posted by occ *
He mentioned that, ya dork!

How clever of you to point out my oversight; and with such rapier wit, too!

[mangeorge]

*Originally posted by Fear Itself *
**

*Originally posted by occ *
He mentioned that, ya dork!

How clever of you to point out my oversight; and with such rapier wit, too! **

occ’s simply keeping the spirit of the subject of the OP, ya dweeb.

Peace,
mangeorge

[Gaspode]

*Originally posted by DAVEW0071 *
Isn’t there a quote from either Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer to the effect that a person who will do [something, I forget what] would suck eggs? **

Sure is. Right before Tom beats up the prissy new kid.

Smarty! You think you’re SOME, now, DON’T you? Oh, what a hat!"

“You can lump that hat if you don’t like it. I dare you to knock it off – and anybody that’ll take a dare will suck eggs.”

“You’re a liar!”

“You’re another.”

“You’re a fighting liar and dasn’t take it up.”

So basically saying that someone will suck eggs is like saying that they’re low and stupid. Quite easy to see how that could go from ‘you suck eggs’ to ‘you suck’ and not lose its meaning.

[furt]

Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog

Well, he’s not very handsome to look at
Aw! he’s shaggy and eats like a hog
And he’s always killin’ my chickens
That dirty Egg-Suckin’ Dog.

Egg-Suckin’ Dog
I’m gonna stomp your head in the ground
If you don’t stay out of my hen house
You dirty Egg-Suckin’ hound.

…

[samclem]

But for people of a certain age, “Yah boo, sucks to you” is
indelibly associated with Billy Bunter, a fat schoolboy created by
Frank Richards (1875-1961), and immortalized in children’s books and
comics of the period. Even when I was a small boy in the 1940s,
“sucks” in that context sounded old-fashioned and upper-class, and
personally I’ve never heard or seen it except as a conscious parody
of Bunter.

From alt-usage

this will address the OP asking about “Yah boo” although it is less than satisfying in determining the origin of the term.

[Dale_The_Bold]

Gee, and here I thought the word originated from a vacuum. If an experience “sucked,” It meant that it was negative. The good-ness was “sucked” away. I never thought people pictured someone sucking a penis whenever I said “you suck.” Now I understand the bewildered looks at the church bazaar.