what the cuss
- idiom
- Informal
:
¿qué demonios?
- What the cuss! That car nearly hit me.
Examples
-
He broke my favorite mug! What the cuss!
-
I just saw a cat wearing a hat! What the cuss is going on?
-
What the cuss is that supposed to mean?
-
He opened the door and shouted, 'what the cuss is going on here?'
-
What the cuss is that supposed to mean?
-
What the cuss! That car nearly hit me.
-
I just saw a cat wearing a hat! What the cuss is going on?
Synonyms
659
9.2
Shows strong anger, annoyance, or surprise in rude informal speech
139
7.4
A short mild word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or strong feeling
121
9.9
Shows strong anger or annoyance in a rude way
33
9.9
A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance
15
8.4
A short angry cry people say when they feel annoyed or frustrated
9
9.9
Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say
4
9.9
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
4
9.9
A rude phrase people say to show strong anger when things go wrong
3
9.9
To say when you feel angry, annoyed, or upset
2
9.9
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
1
9.9
A rude strong word said to show anger or surprise
1
9.9
People say a strong angry word when they feel very annoyed
1
9.9
A very rude exclamation showing strong anger or surprise
1
9.7
Say to show anger, surprise, or frustration
To make what you say sound stronger, like a mild swear
A short word people say to show surprise, anger, or annoyance
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
A short cry people say when surprised, hurt, or disgusted
An old mild word people say when they are annoyed
A rude phrase people say to show strong anger or frustration
How Strong
- Offensive
- NSFW
347
8.9
- Informal
90
8.9
- Informal
- Informal
- Informal
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression uses the productive exclamative frame 'what the + X' and, given knowledge of 'what' and 'cuss' (an obscene word), a B1 learner can infer it functions as an exclamation and a euphemistic substitute for a stronger swear. However, its pragmatic/euphemistic usage and idiomatic register are not fully predictable from the parts alone, so comprehension may require some exposure.
Etymology
The exclamation what the cuss comes from people using a softer word instead of a rude swear; they say cuss rather than the stronger word. The image is someone stopping themselves and using that mild word when shocked or angry, so it now means 'surprise', 'disbelief', or 'annoyance'.