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to go sour
01
(of situations, moods, or relationships) to become unpleasant or unsuccessful
What is the origin of the idiom "go sour" and when to use it?
The idiom "go sour" is thought to have started in the early 1500s from the way people saw milk turn sour, which happens naturally because of bacteria. Milk that is sour is not good anymore and it tastes bad, so people started using this idea to describe other things that were not good or that got worse. Over time, the phrase became common in informal contexts and is now used to mean that something has changed for the worse.
02
(of food or drinks) to become unpleasant in taste or smell
Example
This milk has gone sour.
His excitement about the new job quickly went sour when he realized the stressful workload.
Things started to go sour between the business partners when financial issues arose.
The atmosphere at the family gathering quickly went sour due to heated arguments.
The cream in the recipe went sour, so I had to discard it and start over.
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