-ussy


is an English-language morpheme derived from the word pussy used to create novel derived terms, implying resemblance to a vulva or vagina. Portmanteaus derived from pussy have existed in LGBTQ slang since the early 2000s, in the form , but were popularized in the late 2010s and early 2020s on social media platforms including Tumblr and TikTok. In 2022, the American Dialect Society named '' their word of the year.

History

According to Université de Montréal linguist Michael Dow, portmanteaus derived from pussy first originated within LGBTQ slang, including the terms mussy and which were recorded in a gay slang dictionary in 1999 and on Urban Dictionary in 2004. Bussy is generally defined as referring to the male anus, or specifically the cisgender male anus. Dow tentatively calls these terms "pussy blends", but distinguishes them from true blends, and instead categorizes ' as a analogous to and .
The suffix was popularized by a viral Tumblr post from April 2017 coined the term . A month later, an internet meme consisting of computer-generated songs with lyrics such as "Mr. Krabs is one thicc bih, let me see that krussy", leading to further novel forms such as waussy, babussy, and computussy. From June to August 2017, at least 1,338 -ussy blends appeared on Twitter. Other examples include Thatchussy, clussy, grussy, nussy, and birdussy.
Use of ' as a suffix was popularized on TikTok beginning in late 2021. The suffix has been used in reference to a physical hole as well as to emphasize effort.
The suffix was named the word of the year for 2022 by the American Dialect Society, with its president Ben Zimmer stating the selection "highlights how creativity in new word formation has been embraced online in venues like TikTok."
A 2024 Dune: Part Two movie promotional popcorn bucket covered with a sandworm mouth was called a ' by a magazine editor and gained Internet fame for resembling a Fleshlight. The 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine satirized the "" popcorn bucket with their own bucket dubbed the ', featuring the character Wolverine's open mouth as the bucket lid.