cold shoulder

See also: coldshoulder, and cold-shoulder

English

Alternative forms

• cold-shoulder
• coldshoulder

Etymology

Possibly coined by Sir Walter Scott in 1816, from give someone the cold shoulder.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

cold shoulder (plural cold shoulders)

1. (idiomatic) A deliberate act of disrespect; a slight or snub.

Derived terms

• give someone the cold shoulder

Translations

a slight or snub

• Bulgarian: хладен прием m (hladen priem)
• Latin: repulsa f
• Russian: холо́дный приём m (xolódnyj prijóm)

Verb

cold shoulder (third-person singular simple present cold shoulders, present participle cold shouldering, simple past and past participle cold shouldered)

1. (idiomatic) To deliberately slight or snub someone.

Translations

slight or snub someone

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不理不睬 (zh) (bùlǐbùcǎi), 冷落 (zh) (lěngluò), 冷淡 (zh) (lěngdàn)

• Finnish: kohdella kylmästi
• German: kalte Schulter f