Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. parasitical.

1851

Manchester Spy (NH) 10 May n.p.: They will give two hundred dollars to support a lazy priest [or] ‘sucker’ missionary.

2. mean, untrustworthy.

c.1858

J.H. Green Reformed Gambler 164: ‘I can’t understand your meaning of entering your name falsely.’ ‘Oh, all is O. K.!’ replied the sucker captain, placing his fingers upon his nose.

3. (orig. US) foolish, naïve.

1911		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 66: He declared that Packey had run out on former matches and would take a powder on this one. McFarland, he added, was the greatest sucker fighter that ever lived.
1917		Van Loan ‘A Morning Workout’ in Old Man Curry 204: If we should try and fall down it would give the track a black eye. The sucker horsemen would be leery of us.
1927		C. Coe Me – Gangster 138: You’re talkin’ sucker talk now!
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 762: He was sure that it was a sucker proposition, but then, there was one born every minute.
1941		B. Schulberg What Makes Sammy Run? (1992) 225: That’s sucker stuff. Why the hell take a chance goin’ up the river.
1959		J. Thompson Getaway in Four Novels (1983) 42: Did you really think I’d fall for a sucker pitch like that?
1968		W.S. Hoffman Loser 127: ‘I never bet the double [...] The double’s a sucker bet’.
1971		T. Thackrey Thief 183: This Jensen’s Mama was no sucker bet.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 75: I couldn’t tip any sucker emotional shit to her.
1983		A-Team Storybook 20: ‘That’s sucker business,’ said B.A. contemptuously.
1999		Guardian Rev. 9 July 14: Sucker DJs who think they’re fly.
2011		‘Jack Tunney’ Split Decision [ebook] I wondered how many of them had money on the fight. How much of that sucker dough was going to make it into my pocket?