Oh dear me - is it suds, sauce, suss or something else entirely?

Posted by Woodchuck on May 01, 2003

When I was a very little girl, I used to exclaim "oh dear me suds" in imitation of my grandmother. My great-uncle chuckled and informed me the phrase was "dear me suss." (That's a phonetic spelling. He might have been saying "sauce.")
Imagine my combined amusement and frustration when I tried to Google all three variants and found nothing for sauce or suss - but there's now a soap company in neighboring New Hampshire called "Dear Me Suds". (Do you think I should sue? )

Does anyone know the correct phrase and/or have any information on the origin, please?

• Oh dear me - is it suds, sauce, suss or something else entirely? masakim 05/01/03