Mike: Did you hear the news regarding today’s stock market?
Jason: No I didn’t.
Mike: It’s headed south again.

Jason: Again? It wasn’t too long ago that the stock market declined drastically.
Mike: Well, I guess that’s the nature of the stock market. It can go south one day and pick up the next. It definitely fluctuates.

Mike가 Jason에게 “Did you hear the news regarding the stock market? 주식 시장 소식 들었니?”라고 묻자 Jason이 “No I didn’t. 아니 왜?”라고 하네요. Mike가 “It’s headed south again. 주가가 또 내려갔대”라고 하자 Jason이 “Again? 또? It wasn’t too long ago that the stock market declined drastically. 얼마 전에도 크게 내려간 적이 있는데 왜 그러지”라고 하더라고요.

이어 Mike가 “Well, I guess that’s the nature of the stock market. It can go south one day and pick up the next. It definitely fluctuates. 주가라는 게 원래 그렇지 뭐. 오르락내리락 하는 거잖아”라고 대답합니다. Keep today’s phrase ‘go south / head south’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Mike: Did you hear the news regarding today’s stock market?
Jason: No I didn’t.
Mike: It’s headed south again.

Jason: Again? It wasn’t too long ago that the stock market declined drastically.
Mike: Well, I guess that’s the nature of the stock market. It can go south one day and pick up the next. It definitely fluctuates.

오늘 영어표현은 go south / head south입니다. If something goes south or heads south, it means that it’s beginning to fail, collapse or go bad. It also means that something declines in value or quality. In addition it can also mean to make an escape or to disappear or drop out of sight. 일반적으로 북쪽으로 가면 올라간다는 뜻이고 남쪽으로 가면 내려간다는 말이죠.

‘Go south/head south’는 부정적인 뜻을 담고 있습니다. ~이 나빠지다, 악화되다, 가치가 떨어지다라는 뜻입니다. 따라서 내리막길로 접어들다, 도망가다, 시야에서 사라지다와 같이 부정적인 뜻을 담고 있습니다. Now let me give you some examples. 예를 들어볼까요? “This project is going to go south if we’re not going to contribute and work as a team.”라고 하면 “한 팀으로서 서로 협력 해서 일하지 않으면 이번 계획은 실패하고 말 거야”라는 뜻입니다.

Now you know what it means to go south / head south right? Now let’s listen to the conversation for the last time.

Mike: Did you hear the news regarding today’s stock market?
Jason: No I didn’t.
Mike: It’s headed south again.

Jason: Again? It wasn’t too long ago that the stock market declined drastically.
Mike: Well, I guess that’s the nature of the stock market. It can go south one day and pick up the next. It definitely fluctuates.

Let’s review. ‘Go south’ or ‘Head south’ means to fail, collapse or go bad. It can also mean that something declines in value or quality. Lastly it can mean to make an escape or drop out of sight. Go south, or head south. Now try using the phrase on your own.