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South Circular, the
election, John says he never really wanted to be a politician
anyway, but I think it's just sour grapes.
sour puss /'saʊspʊs||-ər-/ n humor derog a person with no
sense of humour, who always complains and is never
satisfied
Sou-sa, John Philip /'su:zə/ (1854-1932) a US COMPOSER
and band leader, who wrote many famous MARCHES (=music
for soldiers to march to), including The Stars and Stripes
Forever
sou-sa-phone /'su:zəfəʊn/ n a very large brass musical
instrument used especially in bands and usually fitted round
the player's left shoulder
souse /saʊs/ v [T] 1 to dip in water or pour water over;
make completely wet 2 to preserve (especially fish) by plac-
ing it in water with salt in it, VINEGAR etc: soused herrings
soused /saʊst/ adj [F] infml drunk
south¹ /saʊθ/ written abbrev. S n (often cap.) 1 [the S;U] the
direction which is down from the centre line of the Earth
(EQUATOR); the direction which is on the right of a person
facing the rising sun: I'm lost; which direction is South? | A
strange light appeared in the south. | The airport is a few
kilometres to the south of London. 2 [the] the southern part
of a country → see NORTH (USAGE)
south² adj [A] 1 (sometimes cap.) in the south or facing the
south: The south side of the building gets a lot of sun. | She
lives in South America. 2 (of a wind) coming from the
south: a gentle south wind → see NORTH (USAGE)
south³ adv 1 (often cap.) towards the south: The room faces
south, so we get a lot of sun. | The birds fly south in winter. |
Lisbon is (a long way) south of Oporto. 2 down south infml to
or in the south of the country: We're planning to move down
south.
South, the 1 the southeastern states of the US, used
especially when talking about politics or history
CULTURAL NOTE When people in the US talk about the
South, they mean the states that were originally part of
the CONFEDERACY during the American Civil War. The
economy of these states depended on SLAVERY, and after
slavery was officially ended in 1863, most Southern states
made laws that were unfair to African-American people or
separated them from white Americans. During the Civil
Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, when African
Americans demanded equal rights as citizens, many white
people in the South refused to accept changes. There
was also a lot of violence against African Americans,
especially by members of the KU KLUX KLAN. Now, while
there is still RACISM in many parts of the US, including the
South, the situation is not as bad and the Ku Klux Klan is
not as active. Attitudes Today the South is thought of as
a place where people are more CONSERVATIVE (=not
wanting to change) than in other parts of the US, and
Southerners are generally considered to have more
traditional ideas about the family, sex, and religion. People
from the South are also known for their polite manners
and for their 'Southern HOSPITALITY', because
Southerners are generally considered to be very generous
towards their guests, especially by feeding them good
food made at home. Religion The South is sometimes
called the BIBLE BELT, meaning that there are many
FUNDAMENTALIST Christian churches there, whose
members believe that everything in the Bible is exactly
true. There are also many BAPTISTS and ROMAN
CATHOLICS in the South. Way of Speaking People who
live in the South tend to speak slowly with long vowel
sounds and a strong ACCENT known as a Southern
DRAWL. → see Cultural Note at DEEP SOUTH
2 the southern part of England
CULTURAL NOTE The South of England, especially London
and the area around London, is generally considered to
be richer than the rest of the UK, and a more expensive
place to live. People from other parts of the country often
think that people from the South are unfriendly and only
interested in work and money. They also think that people
in London are not interested in what is happening in the
rest of the UK. Some people in the South joke that
anywhere 'north of Watford' (=a town at the northern edge
of London) is like a foreign country. → see also HOME
COUNTIES, NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE, THE
3 the poorer countries of the southern parts of the world,
including most of Africa, parts of Central and South
America, and parts of southern Asia
South 'Africa also the Republic of South Africa a
country in southern Africa south of Namibia, Botswana, and
Zimbabwe, officially called the Republic of South Africa.
Population: 40,580,000 (1996). Capitals: Pretoria (the ADMIN-
ISTRATIVE capital), Cape Town (the LEGISLATIVE capital), and
Bloemfontein (the JUDICIAL capital). Largest city: Johannes-
burg. Although almost 75% of South Africa's population is
black, the country was ruled for many years by an all-white
government using the system of APARTHEID, which separated
people of different races and gave no political rights to black
people. People who actively opposed apartheid were often
treated violently by the South African police and army.
Because of this, South Africa was disapproved of all over the
world. It was forced to leave the British Commonwealth in
1960, and in the 1980s, many countries established trade
SANCTIONS against South Africa (=restrictions on buying and
selling goods). In the early 1990s, the white government
finally agreed to get rid of apartheid, and in 1994 the African
National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson MANDELA, won South
Africa's first fully DEMOCRATIC election and became the
government. South Africa has many industries and produces
many farm products, including fruit and wine, but its best
known products are gold and DIAMONDS. It is also a popular
place for tourists who come especially to see wild animals
such as lions and elephants in its WILDLIFE parks. Some parts
of South Africa are known for having a high level of crime.
→ see also ANC, BIKO, STEVE, BOER WAR, MANDELA, NELSON,
SHARPEVILLE, SOWETO
South 'African n someone who comes from South Africa
—South African adj
South·all /'saʊθɔːl/ an area of West London close to Heath-
row Airport. It is known for having a large population of
people whose families originally came from India and Paki-
stan.
South A'merica the fourth-largest CONTINENT in the world,
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which goes from
the southern coast of the Caribbean Sea (in the north) to
Tierra del Fuego (in the south). It includes the Andes
Mountains, the Amazon River, and large areas of tropical
RAINFOREST, as well as many large cities. Its largest country is
Brazil. The main language in Brazil is Portuguese, but in all
the other countries of South America, the main language is
Spanish. → see also LATIN AMERICA —South American adj, n
South·amp·ton /saʊθ'hæmptən. saʊ'θæmp-/ a city on the
English Channel coast in the south of England. It is an
important port for both passengers and goods, and it also
has a university.
South Aus'tralia a state in central South Australia whose
capital is Adelaide → see picture at AUSTRALIA
'South ,Bank, the an important cultural centre on the
south bank of the River Thames in London. The NATIONAL
THEATRE, the NATIONAL FILM THEATRE, the ROYAL FESTIVAL
HALL, the MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, and the HAYWARD
GALLERY are all there.
south·bound /'saʊθbaʊnd/ adj travelling or leading towards
the south: southbound ships | the southbound side of the
motorway
South Car·o·li·na /ˌsaʊθ kærə'laɪnə/ written abbrev. SC a
state in the southeast US, between North Carolina and Geor-
gia and with a border on the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the
13 original states, and its capital and largest city is Columbia.
In 1860, South Carolina was the first of the southern states to
formally announce that it was leaving the Union, and this led
to the American Civil War. Its products include tobacco,
wood, paper, and TEXTILES.
,South ,China ,Morning 'Post, The abbrev. SCMP a
newspaper written in English in Hong Kong
,South 'Circular, the a very busy road in London, which
goes through the London SUBURBS south of the River
Thames, and connects with a similar road in north London,
the North Circular