storage

in cold storage

In a hiatus or state of delayed or procrastinated action. Unified action to deal with climate change has been in cold storage since the summit. They put our project in cold storage for the time being, citing budgetary concerns and a lack of faith in its sales. I like your proposal, I really do, but I have to put it in cold storage until we wrap up this audit.

See also: cold, storage

in storage

Kept somewhere until being used or addressed in the future. I have a lot of extra linens in storage if you need them. The holidays are over—it's time to put all of these Christmas decorations in storage. We have a lot of junk in storage that we need to get rid of!

See also: storage

into cold storage

Into a hiatus or state of delayed or procrastinated action. Unified action to deal with climate change went into cold storage after the summit. They put our project into cold storage for the time being, citing budgetary concerns and a lack of faith in its sales. I like your proposal, I really do, but I have to put it in cold storage until we wrap up this audit.

See also: cold, storage

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

in cold storage

dead; in a state of death. (Alludes to the actual storage of certain things, such as fur coats, in cold storerooms.) Tom gets paid for putting his subjects in cold storage. Poor old Jed is in cold storage.

See also: cold, storage

in storage

in a place where things are stored or kept. Mary placed her winter clothes in storage during the summer. John's furniture is in storage while he is in the army.

See also: storage

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

in cold storage

In a state of abeyance or postponement. For example, We can't consider these design changes now; let's put them in cold storage for a year or so . This expression alludes to the literal storage of food, furs, or other objects in a refrigerated place. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

See also: cold, storage

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

into cold storage

If you put something into cold storage, you delay doing it or dealing with it. He made it clear that the peace process would have to be put into cold storage until both sides had shown that they were committed to democracy. Note: You can also say that something is in cold storage. A few years ago a publisher asked me to consider writing a novel on the subject, and the idea has been in cold storage ever since.

See also: cold, storage

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

in cold storage

mod. dead; in a state of death. Rocko gets paid for putting his subjects in cold storage.

See also: cold, storage

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.