steups

English

Alternative forms

• stewps
• chupes, chupse, cheups
• steupse

Etymology

Imitative of the act of sucking one's teeth as a gesture of annoyance or disapproval. Native to the English-speaking West Indies, e.g. Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago etc. In Jamaica, the term "kissing teeth" is used instead.

Noun

steups (plural steupses)

1. (Caribbean, dialect, onomatopoeia) The sound made by sucking one's teeth.
   • 2003, Ramabai Espinet, The Swinging Bridge, page 45:

     A loud steups followed.

   • 2004, Anson Gonzalez, Crossroads of Dream, page 57:

     He thought he heard a loud steups somewhere from the dark.

   • 2006, Joy Mahabir, Jouvert, page 78:

     When my mother heard this she let out a loud steups but said nothing.

Verb

steups (third-person singular simple present steupses, present participle steupsing, simple past and past participle steupsed)

1. (Caribbean, Jamaica, dialect, onomatopoeia) To suck one's teeth, indicating disappointment, derision or disgust.

   Synonyms: kiss one's teeth, suck one's teeth

   • 2022, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, When We Were Birds, Hamish Hamilton, page 104:

     ‘Here?’ Petronella steups. ‘Where you think here is?’

Translations

to suck one's teeth

• Finnish: purra hammasta
• Uzbek: tanglayini taqillatmoq

See also

• hiss
• shush

Anagrams

• set-ups, sets up, setups, stupes, upsets