on ice
Idioms-
In reserve or readiness. This idiom often occurs with put , meaning “to place in reserve,” as in Let's put that proposal on ice until we have the funds to implement it . This usage alludes to putting things in cold storage for preservation. [ Slang ; late 1800s]
-
In prison, as in He's been on ice for ten years . This usage may be derived in part from the slang term cooler for “jail.” [ Slang ; c. 1930]
-
With a good chance of success, as in I'm sure she'll win—it's on ice . [ Slang ; early 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Huang made the remarks late Saturday in Taipei after the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia's plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI had been put on ice.
From Barron's
“Atidina trades its crabs here, frozen on ice,” said Nighthand.
From Literature
In 2004, director Gavin O’Connor’s “Miracle” starred Kurt Russell as coach Herb Brooks, who was played by Karl Malden in the 1981 made-for-TV “Miracle on Ice.”
Leavitt followed her statement with a call for cooperation on ICE’s “vital public safety mission” from Republicans and Democrats, and state and local law enforcement.
From Salon
The 28-year-old center is among the NHL stars who return to the Olympics for the first time since Sochi in 2014 and part of an American men's lineup seeking the first US gold since 1980's Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice" triumph.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
