How Did the Phrase “Getting The Cold Shoulder” Originate and What Does it Mean?

Photo of author

Karen Hill

In Europe during the Middle Ages, the “cold shoulder” had two purposes.

If guests overstayed their welcome they were often served cooked but cold beef shoulder at every meal until they tired of the bland diet and left.

The other “cold shoulder” was leftover mutton that was saved to give to the poor to discourage them from begging at the pantry.

These days, getting “the cold shoulder” means being snubbed.

Related Posts

  1. Where does the phrase “a chip on one’s shoulder” come from and What does it mean?
  2. Where does the phrase “to put one’s shoulder to the wheel” come from and What does it mean?
  3. What does the Expression “Chip on His Shoulder” Mean and Where Did it Come From?
  4. Are face masks to keep from getting a cold or other infection or is it to keep from spreading one?
  5. Is there any way to stop from getting a cold?
  6. Where does the expression “to get cold feet” come from and What does “Cold Feet” mean?