Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to quarrel, to pick a fight; thus fuss, a fight, a disturbance.

1865		Chicago Trib. 14 Jan. 4/2: He said he wanted to borrow a revolver [...] He said he had a fuss on the South Side.
1896		P.L. Dunbar ‘The Rivals’ in Lyrics of Lowly Life 62: Well, Zeke an’ me went on that way / An’ fussed an’ quarrelled day by day.
1927		M. West Drag (1997) Act I: You’ve fussed with Rolly. Come, confess.
1934		C.S. Johnson Shadow of the Plantation 37: De peoples right up dere next to me [...] can’t git along wid nobody. No, I ain’t have no fuss wid ’em ‘cause I ain’t see no use.
1938		L. Johnson ‘I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Fool’ 🎵 And you take all my money and drink it up, and come home and wants to fuss and clown.
1945		J.T. Adams Mountain Murder 29: Him and Banks had been drinking, and they fussed.
1968		I. Reed Free-Lance Pallbearers 16: Aw dem white folks done fussed your skull wit all dat crazy talk.
1977		B. Jackson Killing Time 176: There was a lot of heat on one trusty fussing with another.

2. to court, to date.

1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 38: fuss, v. 1. To call on a lady. 2. To pay too much attention to one of the opposite sex.
1911		E.B. Morris Senior 21: Violet. Adonist he was one of those old-timne fellows that went in strong for fussing the women.
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl.

3. (US) to engage in sexual activity short of intercourse.

1923		R. McAlmon Companion Volume 50: They fuss – but they don’t take the pin. [Ibid.] 246: I’ve had so much fussing with the hot young ladies who like to titilate a man’s cock that I want to go and get screwed somewhere.
1930		R. McAlmon ‘Blithe Insecurities’ in Knoll McAlmon and the Lost Generation (1976) 81: ‘We won’t fuss,’ she said. ‘I think it’s cheap and gets one all upset, but let’s be cozy.’.