| idiom. |
go into a state of decline or ruin (...causes the sluggish economy to go south.  merriam-webster.com); to cease working or functioning; to quit, fail, or fall apart (Talks between the labor union and the construction firm went south yesterday, so it looks like workers will be on strike again soon. • My computer is only a month old, and it's already gone south. thefreedictionary.com); to quit (Fred got discouraged and went South. I think he gave up football permanently. thefreedictionary.com); fall in value, deteriorate, or fail (Lazio saw his poll numbers go south almost immediately • Throughout my career, the Air Force was trying to help me develop habit patterns that I could fall back on when routine flights went south. • At the same time, foreign investors have fallen out of love with equities and overseas markets have gone south. • The pact would have worked had the members been willing to cut public expenditure in good times to finance the inevitable budget deficits when business went south. • Of course, things went south soon after - the new keyboard didn't work, and a second keyboard didn't work, so they had to give me a new machine. • Well, he did invest in some grand ventures, but the market went south on him, along with the Dow Jones index. • Before his lobbying operation went south, he was an occasional guest at the White House. • But now that the romance has gone south, what's an equally dramatic way to get rid of the clothes, gifts, and jewelry that remind you of your hated ex? • The case would have gone south very fast for the prosecution if they put her on the stand and she didn't hold up. • Well, it seems that suddenly everybody is talking about the economy going south. • I think if you expect loyalty from a television network after it goes south you're sadly mistaken. lexico.com); to become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse (I should have walked away from the casino when my luck went south, but I stayed and ended up in the hole. Usage notes. This idiom is constructed with a variety of terms, all consisting of a verb indicating movement and a direction indicating the movement is to the south (southerly, southward, etc.) The exact construction may be modified to fit the circumstances: He was unconcerned that his health might turn south. • Yesterday the stock market moved south, ending up on a loss for the day. • Afterward, when company profits had ventured a bit too far southward, the CFO began to get nervous. wiktionary.org) |
