USA Today on "sucks "

[Michael McKernan]

Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

>I have heard "eats" used in more-or-less this way, with no explicit object,
>as early as 1967 or 1968, e.g., "This really eats" (= "... sucks" = "...
>blows" = "... bites"). I don't think "John eats" works because it sounds
>habitual and everybody would admit to habitually eating (not everyone would
>admit to habitually blowing or sucking, maybe).

If another put-down based on orality is in order:  this discussion reminds
me that I vaguely remember the phrase "chews the root" in this connection,
from the 1960s.

Michael McKernan