The idiom "go south" means that something is going wrong or not going as planned. It is often used to describe a situation where things are deteriorating or getting worse.
For example, if a business was doing well but suddenly started losing money, you could say that "things have gone south for the business." Or if someone was planning a vacation but then found out their flight was cancelled, they could say that "their plans have gone south."
The origin of this idiom is unclear, but it is believed to have originated from the fact that south is often associated with warmth and sunshine, while north is associated with cold and darkness. So, if something "goes south," it is moving away from the positive and towards the negative.
In summary, "go south" is an idiom used to describe a situation that is not going as planned or is getting worse. It is a useful phrase to use when you want to express that things are not going well in a casual or informal way.
• The political situation in the country has gone south, with protests and unrest becoming more frequent.
• The negotiations between the two countries went south when one side refused to compromise on key issues.
• Our company's profits went south due to the economic downturn.
• My plans to go to the beach went south when it started raining.
• Our relationship started off well, but it went south when we stopped communicating effectively.
• I tried to fix my computer on my own, but things went south and I ended up making it worse.