My friend Dan wrote:
The word is “unsub.” Spellcheck doesn’t like it.
1) Google: Unsubscribe, as in cancel a subscription.
2) Everyone else: Unknown subject of an investigation. Used mainly by US TV crime shows.
Hmm, I don’t watch the crime shows, but let’s check it out.
1. Unsubscribe.
‘you won’t be spammed and you can unsub if you change your mind’
Origin
1990s: abbreviation.
2. US, informal
(in police use) a person of unknown identity who is the subject of a criminal investigation.
‘putting together these insights will help police come up with a composite picture of the unsub’
Origin
1970s: abbreviation of unknown subject or unidentified subject.
So the crime reference is EARLIER than the opt out reference
Urban Dictionary:
“Our unsub is most likely a white male in his mid 30s, with a penchant for Star Wars action figures, and chocolate milk-type beverages.”
(Unknown Subject) The term used by Profilers in lieu of a suspect’s name.
Quora:
Yes, the FBI uses this term in real life, every single day. In fact, it is one of the bureau’s official terms used in FBI reports of investigations (FD-302’s).
Wikipedia:
“Unsub is an American television series that aired on NBC from February 3 to April 14, 1989. The series revolves around an elite FBI forensic team that investigates serial murderers and other violent crimes. Unsub is an abbreviation for the unknown subject of an investigation.
No, I had never heard of this show, which starred David Soul from Starsky & Hutch. It was on Friday nights at 10 p.m.
UNSUB: A Novel Hardcover – June 27, 2017
by Meg Gardiner (Author)
Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.
So, Dan, you are correct, sir. I had no idea.
I had no idea either. I certainly don’t remember that TV show.
Nice to learn something new . Thanks.
😉 I watch crime, mostly, rarely something else and indeed through those tv-programms I know that word
I have been watching too much fbi related tv shows so I know the definition #2 very well.
I first heard that word on Criminal Minds when it started years ago. They never explained what it was, but I finally caught on.
Leslie
abcw team
I guess I am with Daniel and Scrabble – the word not familiar to me, but then I don’t watch crime shows…..
Interesting.
I’ve never heard it in a crime context but then I probably watch more Scandinavian crime shows than US ones.
Even though we watched Criminal Minds in the beginning, I don’t remember they made use of unsub, so it’s a new word to me – interesting!
Thanks for this information ~ Always a post filled with neat information ~ thanks,
Happy Day to you ~ ^_^
A new word for me, too. One, I can easily forget though.
And I learned a couple of words today… Thank you.
Interesting ! I love crime stories, not bloody once but as I watch them in French I never had the chance to here an unsub speaking !
The crime shows always has an unsub.
Ann
I have not seen this serial but interesting use of the word.
Happy ABCW!