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soursob


noun (construed as singular)
a. (also plural) the yellow-flowered herb, oxalis. Compare sourgrass.
b. a stem of this plant, often sucked or chewed for its sour taste.



Contributor's comments: As children in Adelaide, we dipped the broken stalks of soursobs into sand and rubbed them vigorously on penny coins. This rapidly removed any tarnish and restored the pennies to shiny new. Whatever the mystery chemical in soursobs, I wonder what it did to our teeth when we sucked them for the delicious sour taste.

Contributor's comments: I've heard of this in Perth too (rather than sourgrass). However, I always though people called it sour sod, rather than sour sob.

Contributor's comments: I grow up in Central SA and Adelaide, lived at Bordertown and Port Lincoln SA. As a Weed Scientist I have noted common names for plants - "Soursob" which I called Oxalis pes capre is also sometimes refered to as "soursop" on lower EP. In eastern Australia the term Oxalis is more commonly used for Oxalis pes caprae and more generally.

Contributor's comments: As a child in Adelaide, I saw many kids sucking soursobs in school but never attempted it myself. It also means someone with a bad or sour temperament.