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.
The puck that Hughes smacked into the net in overtime to give the United States its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” was seemingly forgotten amid the raucous celebration.
From Los Angeles Times
After all, this is men’s hockey’s first team gold since 1980’s “Miracle on Ice.”
From Salon
The ocean is breaking away the ice and finally there is nothing except water in front so we angle up into the country, across a mountain—dead over the top of it—and down across another bay on ice.
From Literature
At once I realized that we were on ice, thin ice, no more than a couple of inches thick.
From Literature
Wall Street analysts are largely bullish on ICE, with 15 of 17 rating it Buy/Outperform.
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.
