What does ‘give someone the cold shoulder’ mean?
To “give someone the cold shoulder” means to deliberately ignore or snub someone. The phrase became common in the early 19th century after Sir Walter Scott used it; the popular story linking it to a cold shoulder of mutton served to unwelcome guests is charming but not securely documented, as Brewer's-era usage shows.
Origin
- The phrase became common in the early 19th century after Sir Walter Scott used it; the popular story linking it to a cold shoulder of mutton served to unwelcome guests is charming but not securely documented, as Brewer's-era usage shows.
How to use it
- Everyday description of social freezing-out.
- Example: Ever since the argument, she's given me the cold shoulder.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.