# It 'sucks'. [+ sucky]



## Storditaaa

Hi everybody!
I hope this is not too rude or vulgar language..but I still have this question.. What does "It sucks" mean?
I heard it several times and I can't catch the exact meaning, what does people mean..(what does people mean..is it a correct sentence?)
Thanks anyway for your help
Cheers
   Elisa

<Moderator note: this thread is now a combination of three threads on the subject; the most recent one was begun by cyberpedant.>


----------



## Kelly B

This is fairly vulgar - probably not appropriate in front of your grandmother, but some people do say it in front of children. 

It means "it's awful!" often with an additional sense of "it's not fair!"
"This stinks!" is a milder equivalent, I think.


----------



## river

*Sucks* - is poor quality, does not satisfy me {This radio sucks! I can't get my favorite station}.


----------



## maxiogee

Urban dictionary has an interesting origin on the word, and one I've not heard before.



> Not good.  Bad.
> The early Jazz musicians would say that a guy could really "Blow" if he had a good sound when playing the horn. If he couldn't play very well then they would say that he was "Sucking" on that horn. That's where the term "Suck" as being something bad came from.



Sounds good to me - so it's probably doo-lally!


----------



## Alxmrphi

KellyB, I think you might be affected a little too strongly by that, lol.

"Sucks" isn't vulgar, it's just more of a sign of disapointment. "It's bad" is really what it means, I wouldn't compare "it's awful" to "it sucks".

I agree with river, if it doesn't satisfy you and you're annoyed, it sucks.


----------



## Storditaaa

Thank you very much guys!


----------



## maxiogee

It may not *be* rude, Alex, but in view of what it is mistakenly taken to be about, it is *seen as being* rude. 
And, as we all know, there are times when perception *is* reality.


----------



## river

You can read more about the origin of "sucks" here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism  See last paragraph of 2. The "euphemism treadmill."


----------



## timpeac

maxiogee said:
			
		

> Urban dictionary has an interesting origin on the word, and one I've not heard before.
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds good to me - so it's probably doo-lally!


 
But in AE - doesn't "it blows" also mean something is rubbish?


----------



## maxiogee

Are you winding me up?


----------



## Brioche

Reminds me of something I saw written on a wall.

This organisation is like a fan.
Stand in front of it - it blows.
Stand behind it - it sucks.
Stand beside it - it does nothing for you.


----------



## abenr

Storditaaa said:
			
		

> Hi everybody!
> I hope this is not too rude or vulgar language..but I still have this question.. What does "It sucks" mean?
> I heard it several times and I can't catch the exact meaning, what does people mean..(what does people mean..is it a correct sentence?)
> Thanks anyway for your help
> Cheers
> Elisa


 
People *do* is always correct. People *does* is wrong. People is singular in form, but takes a plural verb.

Others have done an excellent job answering the "it sucks" question.

Cheers,
Abenr


----------



## Genggeng

Hi, everyone!

What's the meaning of the sentence?

*That sucks for him.*

Is this a slang?

Thank you.


----------



## bibliolept

Yes, this is slang.

John: "Michael broke his leg."
Jim: "That sucks for him."

That would mean, roughly "what happened is bad for him".  It can be seen as sympathetic or as unkind, depending on the tone.

"Sucks" is negative as a verb:

He sucks at football. (He is not a good player.)
This movie sucks.  (This is not a good movie.)

The adjective form "sucky" could also be used, also as slang: "This is a sucky movie."

Of course, there is a literal meaning for the verb "suck" which you can find in any dictionary.


----------



## Genggeng

*Thank you very much! bibliolept.*


----------



## cyberpedant

When I was growing up in Brooklyn (40s-50s), the phrase "... sucks" had a distinctly sexual and obscene connotation. I have not ceased to be surprised at the frequency with which it is used today, apparently with no shame. Has the phrase lost all its "dirtiness?" 
What does it mean to you?


----------



## Schwichtenhövel

cyberpedant said:


> When I was growing up in Brooklyn (40s-50s), the phrase "... sucks" had a distinctly sexual and obscene connotation. I have not ceased to be surprised at the frequency with which it is used today, apparently with no shame. Has the phrase lost all its "dirtiness?"
> What does it mean to you?


 
I guess there are a lot of things to be sucked. Sweets, ice-crem, one's own thumb, mother's breast, blood - and even more delicate stuff. Here, in Germany, I happened to see graffities with 'Capitalism sucks!' or so, isn't it even used for pop music ads?

The word 'blow' (german 'blasen') has for a very long time been used only for brass bands, the breeze in the sails of windjammers and whales that got up for air. Since something around the mid of the passed century, 'blasen' is used for a rather pleasant sexual activity, which indeed is just the opposite of blowing... Maybe that is a way of camouflaging the actual activity one is occupied with.

So let's blow the horn! We'll see what's coming out.


----------



## Tabac

cyberpedant said:


> When I was growing up in Brooklyn (40s-50s), the phrase "... sucks" had a distinctly sexual and obscene connotation. I have not ceased to be surprised at the frequency with which it is used today, apparently with no shame. Has the phrase lost all its "dirtiness?"
> What does it mean to you?


A commentary on PRI (Public Radio International) just the other day discussed this word.  Yes, the word definitely originally had a sexual meaning, which still lingers for many of us.  The commentator argued, however, that it is a useful term equal to "it's just really bad".  And, it can be said in soooooo many ways to indicate just how badly something sucks.  I don't believe I've ever used the word in this manner, but as a recently retired high school teacher, I can tell you that I heard it often.  I think the kids like it because it rhymes with another common word that is not acceptable in schools.


----------



## Sabelotodo

In my book, "to suck" is an abbreviated version "to suck eggs" referring to a theiving, rotten, no-good weasel's penchant for stealing eggs. 

I don't think that the expression has lost it's dirtiness. I think it gained dirtiness when our society became less rural, less familiar with weasels, and more familiar with sexual obscenity.


----------



## MCL

Tabac said:


> A commentary on PRI (Public Radio International) just the other day discussed this word.
> ...The commentator argued, however, that it is a useful term equal to "it's just really bad".
> ...but as a recently retired high school teacher, I can tell you that I heard it often. I think the kids like it because it rhymes with another common word that is not acceptable in schools.


 
Excellent comment.

A number of people have the habit of using words to express their 'strong feelings', and with an intent to shock. Here in the US the word 'suck' has not (yet) lost that negative connotation.

There are a number of other euphemisms used to 'replace' 'unacceptable' words for 'acceptable' use in public! 

Although their use seems pretty common at times, and people appear to become accustomed to hearing them, does the 'commonness' really remove the intent of the words? And, can we really 'sanitize' a filthy idea, and make it acceptable? Or are we merely accepting a lower quality of language in society by doing so?


----------



## mariposita

For people (more or less) under the age of 40, *it sucks* does not have a sexual connotation when it is used to express displeasure. As long as I have heard the word (since the mid-seventies), it has never had that meaning. 

It's obviously a useful expression as it has gained popular acceptance. I tend to believe that language belongs to all of us and that words are neither dirty, nor clean--just meaningful. It may not sound pretty, but it's not meant to. It's an expression of disgust, disdain, displeasure and a lot of other "disses."

To answer a question further up the thread... Yes, *that blows* means more or less the same thing as *that sucks*.


----------



## duckie

I concur with mariposita (although I've only encountered the term later).. it's such a common everyday term.

We just missed the bus!
-Oh, that sucks.
I lost my wallet.
- Really? That sucks.

It's not the most imaginative language though, and carries stronger meaning when used with other words that describe just how much something sucks.


----------



## Alxmrphi

Well for us it does, perfect example:

A few weeks ago in Amsterdam one of my friends said it, and we all went into pirate cheers and it became a whole holiday joke. Not just me but others automatically thought of pirates when they said "I concur" ... so maybe not in the US, but not just me, others thought of it, when "I concur" was said. Don't critisise me for it because you can say it here and there would be a lot of people who'd laugh.


----------



## Presto627

Storditaaa said:


> Hi everybody!
> I hope this is not too rude or vulgar language..but I still have this question.. What does "It sucks" mean?
> I heard it several times and I can't catch the exact meaning, what does people mean..(what does people mean..is it a correct sentence?)
> Thanks anyway for your help
> Cheers
> Elisa
> 
> <Moderator note: this thread is now a combination of three threads on the subject; the most recent one was begun by cyberpedant.>



It would be 'What do people mean?' .. 

and to me 'it sucks' means that you hate whatever is happening or like if someone tells you something and you say 'that sucks' it could mean  'that's annoying', 'that's dumb' , or 'that's horrible'.. anything really..


----------



## Presto627

maxiogee said:


> It may not *be* rude, Alex, but in view of what it is mistakenly taken to be about, it is *seen as being* rude.
> And, as we all know, there are times when perception *is* reality.



Yeah, if i'm in church I usually try to say 'that stinks' instead of 'that sucks'. Even if it's not that bad of a word, it just sounds wrong to say it in front of your pastor. hah


----------



## gwrthgymdeithasol

As a footnote, if you say something "sucks" in the UK, and you're not talking about a vacuum cleaner, then you're going to sound 'young and trendy' and 'down' with American 'yoof' culture, or as if you really want to be seen that way.


----------



## foxfirebrand

"That sucks" is firmly rooted in the obscene meaning, and young people who use the term nowadays are by no means unaware of the connection.  

The earliest memory I have of "it really sucks" used in a more general way was on SNL, where "bites the big one" was also said.  These guys weren't talking about sucking "sweets."

And I'd sure like to see a source for that theory about sucking eggs.  "Egg-sucking dog" is a common insult in Southern AE, but I don't think "it sucks" has rural origins.  And I've lived out in the country (complete with chicken coop) since 1980.
.


----------



## timpeac

foxfirebrand said:


> "That sucks" is firmly rooted in the obscene meaning, and young people who use the term nowadays are by no means unaware of the connection.
> 
> The earliest memory I have of "it really sucks" used in a more general way was on SNL, where "bites the big one" was also said. These guys weren't talking about sucking "sweets."
> 
> And I'd sure like to see a source for that theory about sucking eggs. "Egg-sucking dog" is a common insult in Southern AE, but I don't think "it sucks" has rural origins. And I've lived out in the country (complete with chicken coop) since 1980.
> .


Perhaps because the saying is, or was, less well-known over here and perhaps because I have a dirty mind I have always assumed the most salacious of origins for that phrase. Consequently I have always been surprised to hear it from little American kids in TV shows and assumed that I must be wrong about its origins - so that's interesting what you say. I find it surprising that people could have forgotten what it once referred to though - it's hardly the most metaphorical of phrases, is it?

This reminds me of the phrase "cock-up" (not sure if that is BE only, in case I'll explain that means "muck-up" "everything going wrong") which is very mild, and something you could hear gentle grandmothers use. This has always surprised me because I assume the origins of the "cock" there relate to its meaning as "penis".

"Bite me" - that would be another, too, presumably?


----------



## mariposita

foxfirebrand said:


> "That sucks" is firmly rooted in the obscene meaning, and young people who use the term nowadays are by no means unaware of the connection.


 
I just don't agree. By the time I started using "it sucks" (around the early eighties) it didn't have an explicit sexual meaning at all. I wasn't in any way referring to oral sex then, nor am I now, if I use the term (I'm 35, so I've had a good twenty-five years to use the the expression and hear my peers use it). 

This usage (*that sucks*, meaning *that's too bad*) may have had that origin (though I haven't seen any convincing evidence of this)--but I think that it is quite odd to assume that small children, teenagers, twentysomethings, thirtysomethings (and beyond) are all making sly references to oral sex whenever they say: That sucks. Of course there is a certain age (let's say 12 or 13) when virtually every word in the English language takes on a sexual meaning, but most of us move beyond that and can employ the vast majority of words and expressions without obscene intentions.


----------



## duckie

I agree with mariposita (for what it's worth, shouldn't 'blow' be the sexual word in English since it for mysterious reasons is called a 'blow job'?).

foxfirebrand - being cynical about politicans when they are known to be dishonest is a necessity. That doesn't mean raising children to be cynical towards the world in general - quite the contrary. I'm simply pointing out that using politicians - known habitual liars - as role models is at the very least ignorant. If you want role models for your children make yourself a role model!

And as far as I'm concerned children have always rebelled against their parents to various degrees. It's all part of growing up and finding your own two feet.


----------



## driFDer

I think a lot of credit is due to the movie "wayne's world."  I think that movie put "this sucks" into action.  I didn't really hear the phrase used quite often till after the movie was released.  After it was released, I remember every kid in school saying it.  We even got in trouble in class if we were caught saying it.  But just like alot of other words that are used constantly, the meaning or vulgarity of the word starts to lose its impact, or "punch" if you will. Now, any phrase with the word "sucks" in it, seems to go unnoticed. "It blows!" to me, seems a bit more on the vulgar side.  If something "sucks" than indeed it is quite unfortunate but, if it "blows" then you can say "it" is awful or terrible, etc.


----------



## driFDer

duckie said:


> I agree with mariposita (for what it's worth, shouldn't 'blow' be the sexual word in English since it for mysterious reasons is called a 'blow job'?).


 
I think it was mostly sexual at one time.  But again to restate myself, after it being overused, I think it lost alot of its vulgarity.  I do however, feel that it is indeed still very vulgar.  The germans have "blasen."  I just think we need to come up with another term or something.  I don't know.


----------



## mariposita

driFDer said:


> I think a lot of credit is due to the movie "wayne's world." I think that movie put "this sucks" into action. I didn't really hear the phrase used quite often till after the movie was released. After it was released, I remember every kid in school saying it. We even got in trouble in class if we were caught saying it. But just like alot of other words that are used constantly, the meaning or vulgarity of the word starts to lose its impact, or "punch" if you will. Now, any phrase with the word "sucks" in it, seems to go unnoticed. "It blows!" to me, seems a bit more on the vulgar side. If something "sucks" than indeed it is quite unfortunate but, if it "blows" then you can say "it" is awful or terrible, etc.


 
The usage of the term among young people long predates Wayne's World--though it makes sense that your generation may have discovered it at that time.


----------



## duckie

Another term employing suck is 'suck it up' as in, 'these are tough circumstances, but we'll just have to suck it up'. I don't know about the origin, but it's not normally seen as a sexual expression as far as I know.


----------



## mariposita

duckie said:


> Another term employing suck is 'suck it up' as in, 'these are tough circumstances, but we'll just have to suck it up'. I don't know about the origin, but it's not normally seen as a sexual expression as far as I know.


 
No, it's not sexual. Neither is the word sucker (meaning lollipop),sucker (meaning a gullible person), sucking wind (losing one's breath; not able to keep up)...


----------



## Antara Manova

gwrthgymdeithasol said:


> As a footnote, if you say something "sucks" in the UK, and you're not talking about a vacuum cleaner, then you're going to sound 'young and trendy' and 'down' with American 'yoof' culture, or as if you really want to be seen that way.


Yes, I'm searching for the British equivalent of "that sucks". Any suggestions?


----------



## Copperknickers

Antara Manova said:


> Yes, I'm searching for the British equivalent of "that sucks". Any suggestions?



We usually just say 'that sucks', the same as Americans. Apart from that there isn't really an equivalent, it's a very American expression. I'd probably just say 'I'm sorry to hear that'.


----------



## Antara Manova

Thanks!


----------



## ForeverHis

"That sucks" isn't vulgar. It just that people with dirty minds read meanings into that expression that don't exist. It's very much slang and something that you wouldn't normally say to your boss. You could possibly say it in front of your mother or pastor, depending on their personalities and the context. My teenage nephew has cancer. He's spent months and months in and out of the hospital. It's almost killed him several times. He very honestly told me that it sucks having cancer. I totally understand. I have a devastating autoimmune disease, and I can tell you that it does indeed suck having lupus. "It sucks having cancer/lupus" pretty much sums up every horrible aspect of living with a chronic, potentially lethal disease. As others have pointed out, you can use that expression more casually.


----------



## zaffy

1. 





bibliolept said:


> Yes, this is slang.
> 
> John: "Michael broke his leg."
> Jim: "That sucks for him."
> 
> That would mean, roughly "what happened is bad for him".  It can be seen as sympathetic or as unkind, depending on the tone.



So, is that slang for 'It serves him right'?

2. If I find myself terrible and hopeless, I mess up whatever I do, can I say "I suck."


----------



## kentix

"That sucks for him" just means it's a bad thing for him. If you say it sarcastically it can mean "it serves him right" but it doesn't mean that by itself.

You _can_ say "I suck". If you are terrible at sports that's a common thing to say. "You really don't want me on your team. I suck at volleyball."


----------



## zaffy

kentix said:


> You _can_ say "I suck".



And would "I'm hopeless" or "I'm terrible" or "I'm a disaster" mean the same as 'I suck"? Are those natural?


----------



## kentix

Yes.


----------



## pops91710

zaffy said:


> And would "I'm hopeless" or "I'm terrible" or "I'm a disaster" mean the same as 'I suck"? Are those natural?


Only in certain contexts. If you read this entire thread you can see that it means just about anything negative. All you have to do is google *To suck at something.* Also, check out this: italki: Learn a language online


----------

