ussy is an English-language suffix derived from the word pussy used to create novel portmanteau terms, usually referring to hole-shaped objects. The suffix has existed within LGBT slang in the form ‘bussy’ (boy pussy) since the early 2000s, but was popularized in the late 2010s and early 2020s on social media platforms including TikTok. It was named the American Dialect Society’s word of the year for 2022.
‘Bussy’ and ‘mussy’ (man pussy) first appearing on the internet between 1999 and 2004. An April 2017 Tumblr post popularized the suffix with the term ‘thrussy’ (from throat), and it was further spread as part of the ‘one thicc bih’ Internet meme that began to spread about a month later. A 2018 study of ussy usage on Twitter as part of the meme identified 1,338 ‘pussy blends’ used in tweets from June to August 2017.
Use of the suffix in forms other than bussy (also called ‘ussification’) was popularized by TikTok users beginning in late 2021. This ussification has been used to reference objects’ cavities (e.g., a donut’s ‘donutussy’) as well as in a more figurative sense to denote the original object or concept with emphasis (a barista putting their ‘whole baristaussy’ into latte art). Rapper Lil Nas X also helped to popularize the suffix, advocating for the inclusion of bussy in the dictionary for Pride Month.
Michael Dow, a linguist at the Université de Montréal, wrote an article analyzing different uses of the suffix, such as the merging of “Margaret Thatcher” with ‘ussy’ to create the portmanteau ‘Thatchussy.’ Other examples include ‘clussy’ (clown) and ‘grussy’ (Grinch).