Haven't had any luck. I'm not surprised.
Nobody knows for sure.
But, as usual, that hasn't stopped lots of people coming up with ideas. We are sure that it was originally an American expression, first recorded in the 1920s, and very popular especially in the 1930s, though it never quite took over from cop . In Britain, it was popular in the sixties, though it would now be regarded as dated slang. One suggestion is that it's a variant pronunciation of fuss , this being something that policemen are prone to do over matters that fussees may consider trifling. All rights reserved.