cold shoulder

noun
1.
a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.
Origin
1810-20

cold-shoulder

[kohld-shohl-der] /ˈkoʊldˈʃoʊl dər/
verb (used with object)
1.
to snub; show indifference to.
Origin
1810-20
Examples from the web for cold shoulder
  • But they were given the cold shoulder by the academics who had the final say on the design.
  • With the labor market turning a cold shoulder to new graduates, simply staying at home seems the only option.
  • If you get a cold shoulder, don't take it personally.
  • The feeling of being completely unable to help often leads even people of faith to turn a cold shoulder.
  • Early redesign proposals were given the cold shoulder by local officials and the public.
  • They have turned the cold shoulder ito educational reform.
British Dictionary definitions for cold shoulder

cold shoulder

noun
1.
the cold shoulder, a show of indifference; a slight
verb (transitive)
2.
to treat with indifference
Word Origin and History for cold shoulder
n.

1816, in the figurative sense of "icy reception," first in Sir Walter Scott, probably originally a literal figure, but commonly used with a punning reference to "cold shoulder of mutton," considered a poor man's dish and thus, perhaps, something one would set out for an unwanted guest with deliberate intention to convey displeasure.

How often have we admired the poor knight, who, to avoid the snares of bribery and dependence, was found making a second dinner from a cold shoulder of mutton, above the most affluent courtier, who had sold himself to others for a splendid pension! ["No Fiction," 1820]

cold shoulder in Culture

cold shoulder definition


To “give someone the cold shoulder” is to ignore someone deliberately: “At the party, Carl tried to talk to Suzanne, but she gave him the cold shoulder.”

Slang definitions & phrases for cold shoulder

cold shoulder

noun phrase

A deliberate snub; display of chilly contempt (1816+)

verb

: I cold-shouldered him and he looked puzzled (1845+)


Idioms and Phrases with cold shoulder

cold shoulder

Deliberate coldness or disregard, a slight or snub. For example, When I said hello to her in the library, she gave me the cold shoulder and walked away. This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of beef or lamb—a far inferior dish—to those who outstayed their welcome. [ Early 1800s ]