# go south

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To become unfavorable; to decrease; to take a turn for the worse.
2. To make an escape; to disappear.
3. To give somebody oral sex.
4. To rathole: to take chips off the table in a cash game without exiting the game completely, especially with the intention of limiting losses.

## Etymology
(become worse): The origin is unclear. Common belief attributes it to the standard orientation of maps, where south is the downwards direction; in this regard, compare also go downhill, decline, and drop off. Alternatively, it could stem from a euphemism used by some Native Americans for dying.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/go-south