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Glite Dictionary
preserved in aspic

preserved in aspic

9.9
Not changed over time and looking old-fashioned, as if frozen in time
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : preservado en áspic
  • The company's policies are so old-fashioned, they're practically preserved in aspic.

Examples

  • Many rural customs seem preserved in aspic, hardly altered over the decades.

  • The old building seemed preserved in aspic, untouched by modernity.

  • In her writing, Victorian manners are preserved in aspic for modern readers to observe.

  • Why is this museum preserved in aspic while others evolve?

  • Many rural customs seem preserved in aspic, hardly altered over the decades.

  • The old building seemed preserved in aspic, untouched by modernity.

  • The company's policies are so old-fashioned, they're practically preserved in aspic.

Synonyms

untouched
vspreserved in aspic
3 3.7

Not changed by what other people or things do

suggests being frozen in time rather than merely unaffected
preserved
vspreserved in aspic
3.0

Kept in good condition to stop decay or damage

feels frozen in time rather than actively protected for use
undecaying
vspreserved in aspic
7.2

Stays whole and does not rot over time

implies cultural or temporal stagnation rather than only resisting decay
maintained
vspreserved in aspic
3.2

Kept in use or memory for a long time

remains stagnant rather than being actively kept in use

Antonyms

to change
∞ 1.0

To make something or someone different

to evolve
591 4.0

To change or develop slowly over time, often becoming more advanced

How Unchanged

fossilized
  • Formal
4 7.0
preserved in aspic
  • Informal
9.9
stable
473 2.3
preserved
3.0
altered
3.6
changing
2.4

Surface Forms

preserved in aspic positive

Morphology

preserve + in + aspic

The figurative meaning follows directly from the literal image of being kept in aspic (a preserving jelly): if a learner knows 'preserve' and the noun 'aspic', they can infer something is kept unchanged. However, the expression relies on a cultural/lexical knowledge of 'aspic' and uses a metaphorical extension, so the relation is not fully predictable for all learners.

Etymology

Preserved in aspic comes from the picture of food set and kept inside a clear jelly called aspic, so the food looks stuck and does not change. So, saying something is preserved in aspic means it is 'unchanged' or 'frozen in time' and resists change.