Where "Suss Out" Comes From
"Suss" is a shortening of "suspect," and its documented history runs earlier and more precisely than most slang: a verb sense meaning "to suspect" by the 1920s, then "suss" or "sus" recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary in the 1930s for suspicion or being suspected. "Suss out," specifically meaning to investigate or figure something out, emerged as British slang in the 1960s.
By the 1970s it had also picked up a noun sense — "he was arrested on suss" (suspicion) and, separately, "they've got suss" (know-how). Australian English inherited the whole family from British English rather than originating it, and "suss out" remains the most common everyday form.
Source:
"Let me suss out where to eat tonight."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Common in everyday planning and decision-making — "let me suss out where to eat tonight" is a relaxed way of saying you'll look into the options before committing.
It applies just as easily to people as to plans — "sussing someone out" means getting a read on their character or intentions.
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