on the shelf
Idioms-
Inactive, not employed, as in With mandatory retirement at 65, many useful employees are put on the shelf . [Second half of 1500s]
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In a state of disuse, as in We'll have to put her proposal on the shelf until we have more funds . [Late 1800s]
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Without prospects of marriage. For example, After she broke her third engagement, her parents were sure she'd be on the shelf . This usage is always said of a woman and today considered offensive. It is probably obsolescent. [Early 1800s] All these usages allude to an article left on the shelf of a store, bookcase, or the like.
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 government says it is determined that the recommendations from the Nottingham review will not "sit on the shelf."
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
This might be the only thing on my shelf right now, but I’m really happy it’s on the shelf and that people can find me when they’re meant to find me.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
You don’t need the most expensive bottle on the shelf, nor one that arrives with a romantic backstory about a hillside grove.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026
But leave the megadoses on the shelf unless a doctor advises them.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Every book on the shelf looked just as old as his magical book, if not older.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
