Uncle Sucker
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A personification of the United States federal government, regarded as being exploited by unscrupulous citizens or businesses.
Register: derogatory, humorous, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
They are increasing their productivity to the point where they will top the United States and also Russia, which is No. 2. At the same time the only way they can dispose of the steel is through export — and Uncle Sucker will be the buyer. But the United States is going to run out of money one of the
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “Uncle Sucker” mean?
A personification of the United States federal government, regarded as being exploited by unscrupulous citizens or businesses.
Is “Uncle Sucker” formal or informal?
Uncle Sucker is generally derogatory, humorous, slang.