give someone the cold shoulder
Formsgives someone the cold shoulder, giving someone the cold shoulder, gave someone the cold shoulder, given someone the cold shoulder
- 1To treat someone in a cold, unfriendly way to show you do not want them around.
Like turning your back on someone so they know you do not want to talk.
After the argument, she gave him the cold shoulder for days.
The team gave the new player the cold shoulder until he proved himself.
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Origin
This phrase was first written down in 1816 by Sir Walter Scott. It came from a wrong translation of a Latin Bible verse, where the Latin word for "shoulder" also meant "back."