"Cold shoulder" is a phrase used to express dismissal or the act of disregarding someone. Its origin is attributed to Sir Walter Scott in a work published in 1816, which is in fact a mistranslation of an expression from the Vulgate Bible. There is also a commonly repeated incorrect folk etymology.
What does the phrase give the cold shoulder?
"Cold shoulder" is a phrase used to express dismissal or the act of disregarding someone. ... Overall, it remains widely popular as a phrase for describing the act of ignoring someone or something, or giving an unfriendly response.
How do you use cold shoulder in a sentence?
Meaning: To ignore someone or be unfriendly. Examples: I thought we were friends, but the last time I saw him he gave me the cold shoulder. “What did you do when you saw your ex-girlfriend?” “I gave her the cold shoulder.”