rank, rancid, frowzy, fetid, bashful
臊 centers on unpleasant, strong smells and the associated feeling of being off or shy. The core idea is something stale, rank, or rancid, which extends to a bashful or frowzy demeanor.
臊 combines ⺼ (flesh/meat) with 喿, which likely contributes the sound. The flesh radical suggests a bodily or organic source of the rank smell.
The left side ⺼ is flesh or meat, and the right side 喿 looks like a mouth (口) over a tree (木). Imagine meat left out under a tree, becoming rank and rancid, making anyone nearby feel bashful about the smell.
For ソウ, imagine the foul smell of sour meat: sour -> ソウ, and the rank odor makes you wrinkle your nose.