cold hands, warm heart
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proverb Cold hands—or, by extension, a reserved disposition—are often traits of a kind, loving person. A: "Don't touch me with your icy hands!" B: "Come on, cold hands, warm heart." I always thought he was aloof before he donated so generously to our cause. I guess he's just one of those cold hands, warm heart people.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Cold hands, warm heart.
Prov. People whose hands are usually cold have kind and loving personalities. Nancy: I don't like holding hands with Joe. His hands are so cold. Jane: Cold hands, warm heart.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
cold hands, warm heart
Not showing one's feelings does not signify lack of feeling. For example, Dan rarely sends flowers or anything, but he's a case of cold hands, warm heart. Why a literally cold hand should indicate sympathy or affection is not really clear, but this expression has been so used since about 1900, and the Germans have an identical saying ( kalte Hand, warmes Herz).
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.
cold hands, warm heart
Undemonstrativeness need not signify lack of feeling. In the singular the term appears in a collection of sayings published by Vincent Lean in 1902 (“A cold hand and a warm heart”). A similar idea is behind Alan S. Blinder’s book on economic policymaking, Hard Heads, Soft Hearts (1987), which claims it is not only possible but necessary to have an economic policy that is both rational and efficient (hardheaded) and socially compassionate (softhearted).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer