on ice

See also: onice and ónice

English

WOTD – 21 December 2017

Etymology

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy skating in the ice show Art on Ice in 2014 (see sense 2)

Sense 1 (“not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended”) probably refers to the practice of putting food on ice to preserve it.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɒn ˈaɪs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɑn ˈaɪs/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪs

Prepositional phrase

on ice

1. (idiomatic) Not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended; on hold.

   We're putting the new software features on ice until we can fix the existing bugs.

   • 2001, Dan Diamond, James Duplacey, Eric Zweig, “The Bus Leagues—Life in the Minors”, in Hockey Stories On and Off the Ice, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, page 104:

     Shortly after taking to the ice, the bear broke loose from its leash and went barreling, spinning, slipping, and sliding all around the rink before he was finally restrained and sedated. Needless to say, that act was put on ice.

   • 2009, Lynda V. Mapes, “This Ground Speaks”, in Breaking Ground: The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen Village, Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington Press, →ISBN, page 139:

     The agency's dry dock project was on ice. Begun as a routine construction job, the project was now also an archaeological site and, ominously, a resting place for an unknown number of human remains.

   • 2010, “Coon Come, Matthew”, in Bruce E[lliott] Johansen, editor, Native Americans Today: A Biographical Dictionary, Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 60:

     He [Jacques Parizeau] told the press: "We're not saying never, but that project is on ice for quite a while" […].

   • 2022 April 6, Conrad Landin, “ScotRail in the public eye...”, in RAIL, number 954, page 39:

     But after a public consultation, the three closures were put on ice and the reductions in opening hours revised at many stations [...].

   1. (slang, crime fiction, of a person, chiefly preceded by "put") Dead, especially from murder or other nefarious means.

      Boss says there's a mole in our organization. Find him and put him on ice.

2. Of an entertainment normally performed on a stage: performed by ice skaters as an ice show.

   We went to see Cinderella on ice.

   • 2017 December 17, Meg Swertlow, “Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé and More Stars Step Out with Their Kids for Disney on Ice”, in E! Online‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 December 2017:

     Celebs flocked to the House of Mouse on ice this weekend! Many celeb parents including Christina Aguilera, Armie Hammer, Mila Kunis, Jordana Brewster, Vanessa Lachey and more brought their kids and slid on over to the Staples Center in Los Angeles over the weekend to attend Disney On Ice: Follow Your Heart at Staples Center.

3. Of a sporting or other contest: in a state of assured victory for the leading contestant.
   • 2003, Amy Schapiro, “A Geriatric Triumph”, in Millicent Fenwick: Her Way, New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, →ISBN, page 143:

     [Frederick] Bohen later reflected that "when she [[Millicent] Fenwick] came out against the pardon as strongly as she did, I think that put the election on ice.

   • 2005, Bill Ranier, David Finoli, “The Regular Season”, in When the Bucs Won It All: The 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 33:

     With [Tug] McGraw on the mound against a left-handed batter, this time Ed Ott, and the bases again loaded, Ott put the game on ice by belting another grand slam off the beleaguered pitcher.

4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on,‎ ice.
   • 1899, Moritz Loth, chapter II, in On a Higher Plane, Cincinnati, Oh.: The Monitor Company, →OCLC, page 21:

     Going to the wine cellar, she said: "I will put three bottles of Tokay wine on ice. […]"

Translations

not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended

• Czech: u ledu (with "být")
• Finnish: jäissä, jäihin

performed by ice skaters as an ice show

• Czech: na ledě
• Finnish: jäällä, jää- (fi)
• Persian: روی یخ (fa) (ruye-yax)

in a state of assured victory

Further reading

• “on ice”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• coine, eonic, noice