Often, using words, we do not think about their true meaning or origin. Why, because everything is already clear, it would seem, at the level of intuition. However, such an attitude to terms of slang character can lead at best to misunderstanding or insults, at worst they can also call for an answer. The word sucker is a prime example. What does it mean and where did it come from in our lexicon?
Suckers are different
In fact, this word has many meanings. For example, narrow-leaved or silver goof is a plant that grows in Siberia, China, Europe and Japan. There is still a village in the Saratov region with a similar name. And the Scots designate them fresh lakes, deep-sea bays, such as Loch Ness. "Sucker" refers to a male salmon fish during the mating season (spawning), as well as a special boat system for extinguishing fires. So there are quite a lot of meanings of this word, but at the same time it is most often used to address a person.
By concepts
Strange as it may seem, the criminal world has a very clear structure, where the borders of black and white have rather sharp transitions. You are either a thief, or a cop, or a sucker. That is, a person is far from both criminal and law enforcement communities, an ordinary citizen who is a priori a potential victim of theft, cheating, robbery, etc. Loch is a person who does not expect to be deceived in any way, and therefore trusting, not "catching mice", rustic. Most often, such a person is easy prey, since, most likely, he will not fight back. So, for example, the back pocket of jeans is called "Lohovsky". For only a very naive or overly self-confident person believes that what was put there (money, phone, document), 100% will remain with him. To deceive a sucker ("to part") is trifling. This is the same as taking a child’s ice cream. Therefore, such cases are not a matter of pride among professional thieves, "tweakers" (pickpockets) and other representatives of the criminal hierarchy. Rather, a sucker is the target of a "gopota", small bipods that do not claim honor, fame and authority, but are eager for easy and quick gain. The word is often considered an abbreviation, depending on the meaning in which it is used. So, the victim of thieves or scammers can be a Person Deceived by Hooligans. By the same word, but with a different decoding, they can call a non-traditional orientation without the right to vote of a prisoner.
In the world
A large number of words migrate from criminal circles to a wide vocabulary, a vocabulary of informals, adolescents and just the general public. Often they become somewhat distorted due to the changed social environment. So, today in ordinary life, remote from criminals and legalists, a sucker is a shit. By the way, this is how Dahl's dictionary interprets this word. A naive individual, whom it is very easy to fool, deceive, and profit for himself. Saying: "You are a sucker, you are a schmuck" they mean: "You are nobody, an empty place, a loser whom anyone will lead." Derivatives of this word appeared. A scam, for example, is a way to breed the corresponding naive contingent.