on ice
21
4.9
- idiom
:
en suspenso
- The whole case has been put on ice.
Shout out Dave, he's known to put the laptops on ice.
- Shout out Dave, he's known to put the laptops on ice.
- I just said, OK, we put it on ice and I had this rule every Saturday we need to be launching a new app.
Examples
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The project is currently on ice while we wait for funding approval.
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Samples were kept on ice for later processing (Maharaj, 1989).
Academic text (1991) -
And if these are not going out, put 'em on ice, please.
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Put them on ice for me.
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Would you mind putting the fish on ice?
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General but that Super soldier program was put on ice for a reason.
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Responsible spending doesn't have to mean putting your credit cards on ice.
Blog text (23) -
The samples must be placed on ice and sent to a laboratory within four hours of sampling.
Academic text (2001) -
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the event has been put on ice until further notice.
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After the failed negotiations, the team decided to put the agreement on ice for a few months.
Synonyms
169
2.5
Stopped for a short time until someone decides to continue
Antonyms
How Active
Surface Forms
Morphology
on + ice
The figurative meaning 'temporarily suspended or postponed' is linked metaphorically to the literal idea of keeping something on ice to preserve or delay it, so there is a partial clue in the constituents. However, the extension from physical preservation to the abstract idea of suspension is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure, and similar metaphors vary across languages.
Etymology
On ice comes from the picture of putting food or goods on cold ice to keep them safe until later, like in a shop or market. So when plans are on ice, they are 'temporarily suspended' or 'put away for now'.