sass meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

sass

noun

UK /sæs/

Etymology Variant of sauce.

The quality of being sassy.

US Backtalk, cheek, sarcasm.

Say—if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a rock off'n your head.1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter I, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 23:
Looky here—mind how you talk to me; I’m a-standing about all I can stand now—so don’t gimme no sass.1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter V, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 33:

1 more example

Talk-back or sass per Bell Hooks is "a gesture of defiance that heals...liberated voice" […]2015, Gwendolyn D. Pough, Check It While I Wreck It: Black Womanhood, Hip-Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere, Boston, Massachusetts: Northeastern University, →ISBN, page 80:

Archaic Vegetables used in making sauces.

A subgenre of screamo music.

verb

Etymology Variant of sauce.

US, Informal To talk, to talk back.

The duke he begun to abuse him for an old fool, and the king begun to sass back; and the minute they was fairly at it, I lit out, and shook the reefs out of my hind legs, and spun down the river road like a deer—for I see our chance; and I made up my mind that it would be a long day before they ever see me and Jim again.1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XXXI, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 316:
“But, good land! what did he want to sass back for? You see, it couldn’t do him no good, and it was just nuts for them.”1894, Mark Twain, chapter 2, in Tom Sawyer Abroad:

US, Informal To speak insolently to.

Don’t sass your teachers!
“This isn’t any of your business, Ilse Burnley,” muttered Jennie, sullenly. “Oh, isn’t it? Don’t you sass me, Piggy-eyes.” Ilse walked up to the retreating Jennie and shook a sunburned fist in her face.1923, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “Chapter 8”, in Emily of New Moon:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.