Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also curse, cuss-o’thunder) a man, a fellow, a person; often as old cuss.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: A pleasant Old Cuss, a frolicksom old fellow.
1733		Laugh and Be Fat 19: The old Cuss fell to peeping in the Seams and Gathers.
1775		Narragansett Historical Register III 263: A man that [...] was noted for a damn cuss [DA].
1843		W.T. Thompson Major Jones’s Courtship (1872) 40: The outlandish cuss rode off without sayin a word.
1845		W.T. Thompson Chronicles of Pineville 47: Some oudacious cus-o’thunder [...] jest come and tuck my bundle, and the jug of spirits and everything.
1853		Southern Literary Messenger Apr. 218: I reckon the old cuss has fined me no less than $500.
1862		‘Artemus Ward’ Artemus Ward, His Book 30: Hunky boy! Go it my gay and festive cuss!
1866		Broad Arrow Jack 8: Oh, dear me! you are such a humorous cuss, Ogre.
1866		C.H. Smith Bill Arp 48: I knew the contemptible curse had a substitute in the army himself.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 286: He was what Artemus Ward calls a most ‘amusin’ old cuss’.
1880		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 10 Jan. 14/1: I spoke out boldly, telling them in as many words that I was a literary cuss.
1882		G.A. Sala in Living London (1883) Mar. 83: You mean the old cuss yonder.
1884		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 18 May 18/3: A lively kind of cuss.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 236: So you’ve been a road agent. You and Jim, that darned innocent old cuss, robbing mails and cattle ranches.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 7 Jan. 3/4: One hundred and forty nine Assyrians, Hindoos, Afghans and other alien ‘cusses’ applied for hawkers’ licenses.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 33: I’m a pore cuss an’ ain’t got no ten dollars.
1899		E.W. Hornung Amateur Cracksman (1992) 4: You used to be a literary little cuss [,...] didn’t you edit the mag before you left?
1906		C. M’Govern Sarjint Larry an’ Frinds 57: Dat funny cuss sat down silent-like on a shmall tom-tom in de middle of de yard.
1906		D. Stewart Vultures of the City in Illus. Police News 29 Dec. 14/3: ‘If this vicious-looking cuss gets that blooming gag out o his tater-trap [etc]’.
1913		A. Lunn Harrovians 112: I say, just look at Pinford. Funny old cuss.
1917		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 20 Apr. [synd. col.] It was impossible to get a table [...] unless the itching palm of the slick cuss [...] was greased with a five-spot.
1925		D. Hammett ‘Corkscrew’ Story Omnibus (1966) 219: I never seen such a disagreeable cuss as you are.
1932		M. Marshall Travels of Tramp-Royal 229: And spikes is no good no more, they ain’t. A lousy lot of cusses goes into them.
1937		A.E. Duckett ‘Truckin ’round Brooklyn’ in N.Y. Age 16 Jan. 7/1: The father certainly must be one narrow-minded old cuss.
1939		K. Tennant Foveaux 213: Bramley was a cautious, saving old cuss who never really enjoyed himself.
1943		‘Henry Green’ Caught (2001) 159: What sort of a cuss would I be to tell this doctor things my sister’s always kept to herself?
1950		B. Spicer Blues for the Prince (1989) 147: That makes me an honorable cuss.
1960		‘Nino Culotta’ Cop This Lot 66: Determined cuss, ain’t ’e?
1962		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 224: Now Mary was a brazen cuss and she didn’t give a damn.
1974		D. Goines Swamp Man 85: Boys, looks like the ol’ cuss done went back in them swamps.

2. an animal.

1851		Portage Sentinel (Ravenno, OH) 7 July 1/4: I took him home and nussed him [...] Put him in the gig, nex’ day — wouldn’t start a peg! [...] cunning cuss.
1862		‘Artemus Ward’ Artemus Ward, His Book 17: My show at present consists of three moral Bares, a Kangaroo (a amoozin little Raskal – t’would make you larf yerself to deth to see the little cuss jump up and squeal).
1867		G.W. Harris ‘Big Music Box Story’ Chattanooga Daily Amer. Union 11 Dec. in Inge (1967) 185: The littil blood suckin’ cusses.
1881		‘Bill Nye’ Bill Nye and Boomerang 10: He [i.e. a mule] is a highly amusing little cuss.
1889		K. Munroe Golden Days of ’49 254: I bought the hoss, ’cause I wanted one [...] but he’s such an ugly cuss.

3. an object, a thing.

1902

J. Masefield ‘Cape Horn Gospel II’ in Salt-Water Ballads 46: The old contrairy cuss [i.e. ship] / Started a plate, an’ settled an’ sank, an’ that was the end of us.