hot and cold
1. Of one's body, both hot and cold at once, as from shock or illness. After the pneumonia took hold, she was hot and cold all night. I was suddenly hot and cold all over when I remembered how that dog lunged at me. I was hot and cold as I watched the truck swerve into my lane—and then everything went black.
2. Alternating between two opposite states, especially being enthusiastic or interested one moment and disinterested the next. He was hot and cold throughout our entire date, so I have no idea if he wants to see me again. The boss has been hot and cold about whether or not we're going through with this project. I wish she would just make a decision. A: "So, how are things going between you and Mallory?" B: "Hard to tell. She's hot and cold one day to the next, so I can never tell how she really feels!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hot and cold
BRITISHIf someone or something makes you feel hot and cold, they make you feel extremely worried or nervous, and this causes you to feel as if your body is both hot and cold at the same time. When she realized what she was reading she grew hot and cold all over.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012