A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

sorry about someone • sorry for someone
sorry about someone —feel bad about a person because of
smth. that has happened to him: I’m truly sorry about Billy.
His wife has left him.
sorry for someone —feel pity for a person; understand smb.’s
grief: Letitia feels sorry for all poor people and always gives
them money on the street.
sort oneself out • sort someone out
sort oneself out—
1
. get oneself into a proper mental or emo-
tional state: They are now separated by her decision: he has
to sort himself out, show himself to be responsible, a potential
father. 2. (of two or more people) settle disagreements: Unless
he and Michael can sort themselves out they will bring them-
selves into further disrepute.
sort someone out—
1
. (coll.) deal with a person who causes
trouble: He’s one of these idiots who fires his rifle off. It’s
about time the police sorted him out. 2. (of two or more people)
arrange in groups: We sorted the people out, interrogated
them, tried to find out what they were working on.
South Africa • Southern Africa
South Africa —(officially the Republic of South Africa) a coun-
try on the southern tip of the African continent: South Africa
has experienced a different history from other nations in Africa
as a result of early immigration from Europe.
Southern Africa —the southernmost region of the African
continent including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South
Africa, and Swaziland: The terrain of Southern Africa is varied,
ranging from forest and grasslands to deserts.
spark plug • sparking plug
spark plug —
1
. a device that ignites the fuel mixture in an
internal-combustion engine: Although you can’t see the spark
plugs, you can see the spark plug wires that are attached to
each of them. 2. a person who is the driving force behind an
activity or undertaking: It is thrilling to have someone who
is a great role model for the young, who is a spark-plug for
the team.
sparking plug — = spark plug 
1
: Pull off the cap of the spark-
ing plug so that the engine cannot be started inadvertently.