The Problem With Suck

The fact that the English language is dynamic, open to new slants on the meaning of some words can sometimes pose problems.  Let's use Electrolux as an example.  This Swedish company was very proud of their product's efficiency in picking up dirt; they used a series of ads like the following:

 

You can imagine the snickering that too place in English-speaking places, where the word took on a host of other meanings.  The poor Swedish ad agency surely was invoking a testimonial as to the product's efficiency in drawing up stuff by means of a mechanically-induced partial vacuum.

 

Unfortunately, in the English-speaking world it can also be applied to the process of breast-feeding or fellatio.

 

To complicate things further, the term has evolved into a general put-down:

 

"Homework over the Homecoming Weekend?  That sucks!"

 

Therefore, I suggest that in everday parlance people take pains to distinguish what form of sucking is referred to.  It would be an acute source of disappointment and possibly dismay to find out that one's genitals were to be connected to a vacuum cleaner or sump pump!