Idioms with word ice

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ice

1. noun, slang Diamonds. The pop star came out on stage covered from head to foot in ice. It must have been the most expensive outfit ever made. I bet she keeps her ice in the safe.

2. noun, slang Concentrated methamphetamine in crystalline form. I heard he got caught with two kilos of ice in the trunk of his car. He’s going away for a long, long time. This part of town is overrun with dealers slinging ice on the corners.

3. noun, dated slang A bribe. There has always been a problem in this town with cops accepting ice from gangsters in order to look the other way when something illegal happens.

4. noun, dated slang An amount of money paid to a theater manager in order to secure tickets to a performance or event. He said he would throw some ice at the box office manager to make sure we had good seats.

5. verb, slang To murder (someone). The gang iced him for trying to make off with their money.

6. verb, slang To clinch or ensure the victory of (some sporting event). The last minute touchdown iced the game for the New York Giants.

7. verb, slang To close, finalize, or ensure the success of (some deal, endeavor, agreement, etc.). The president said he is eager to ice the trade agreement with the European Union.

8. verb, slang To postpone, delay, or suspend (something). We’ve had to ice our plans for the expansion until this investigation is concluded. The government indicated that they are icing any and all imports from foreign countries due to the quarantine.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

ice

1. n. diamonds; jewels. (Underworld.) That old dame has tons of ice in her hotel room.

2. n. cocaine; crystalline cocaine. (Drugs.) Max deals mostly in ice but can get you almost anything.

3. tv. to kill someone; to kill an informer. (see also chill.) Mr. Big ordered Sam to ice you-know-who.

4. tv. to ignore someone. (see also chill.) Bart iced Sam for obvious reasons.

5. tv. to embarrass someone; to make someone look foolish. Don’t ice me in front of my friends.

6. n. money given as a bribe, especially to the police. (Underworld.) A lot of those cops take ice.

7. mod. excellent; very cool. Her answer was ice, and she really put down that guy.

iced

mod. settled once and for all; done easily. I’ve got it iced. Nothing to it.

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

See:

• (as) accommodating as a hog on ice
• (as) cold as ice
• (someone) could sell ice to Eskimos
• as accommodating as a hog on ice
• be (as) cold as ice
• be (walking) on thin ice
• be on ice
• be skating on thin ice
• be skating/walking on thin ice
• bite the ice
• Bite the ice!
• break the ice
• break the ice, to
• cat ice
• cold as ice
• cut ice with (someone)
• cut no ice
• cut no ice with (one)
• cut no ice with someone
• cut no ice, to
• cut the ice
• doesn’t cut any ice
• doesn’t cut any ice with (one)
• don’t cut no ice
• hog on ice
• home-ice advantage
• ice
• ice cube
• ice down
• ice maiden
• ice out
• ice over
• ice palace
• ice queen
• ice skates
• ice the kicker
• ice the puck
• ice up
• ice-cold
• ice-cool
• iceman
• ice-skating
• independent as a hog on ice
• keep (someone) on ice
• like a pig on ice
• on ice
• on thin ice
• on thin ice, to be/skate
• piss on ice
• put (someone) on ice
• put (something) on ice
• put on hold/ice/the back burner, to
• put on ice
• put something on ice
• put the game on ice
• skate on thin ice
• skating on thin ice
• stink on ice
• there is no cow on the ice
• tip of the iceberg
• walk on eggs
• walk on thin ice
• when hell freezes over and the devil learns to (ice) skate

References in classic literature
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Then he felt himself a person of consequence, and on smooth, black ice, with a bold heart and a quick elbow, he smoked along over the levels as fast as a pack in full cry.

The Tununirmiut returned from the yearly salmon-fishing, and made their houses on the early ice to the north of Bylot’s Island, ready to go after the seal as soon as the sea froze.

«Certainly,» said I, carried away by the Captain’s reasoning; «if the surface of the sea is solidified by the ice, the lower depths are free by the Providential law which has placed the maximum of density of the waters of the ocean one degree higher than freezing-point; and, if I am not mistaken, the portion of this iceberg which is above the water is as one to four to that which is below.»

If these ice mountains are not more than 300 feet above the surface, they are not more than 900 beneath.

The Carrion Caves consist of a series of twenty-seven connecting chambers, and present the appearance of having been eroded by running water in some far-gone age when a mighty river found its way to the south through this single breach in the barrier of rock and ice that hems the country of the pole.

Beyond the last cave we emerged into a desolate country of snow and ice, but found a well-marked trail leading north.

Soon after this he inquired if I thought that the breaking up of the ice had destroyed the other sledge.

The fine powdery snow was driven past us in the clouds, penetrating the interstices of our clothes, and the pieces of ice which flew from the blows of Peter’s ax were whisked into the air, and then dashed over the precipice.

«The whole of the ridge was exceedingly narrow, and the fall on each side desperately steep, but the ice in some of these intervals between the masses of rock assumed the form of a mere sharp edge, almost like a knife; these places, though not more than three or four short paces in length, looked uncommonly awkward; but, like the sword leading true believers to the gates of Paradise, they must needs be passed before we could attain to the summit of our ambition.

And Keesh continued to make off over the ice to a safe distance.

«For he did claw at himself, and leap about over the ice like a playful puppy, save from the way he growled and squealed it was plain it was not play but pain.

He flew down, and without even changing the position of his hands, skated away over the ice.

On the last step he stumbled, but barely touching the ice with his hand, with a violent effort recovered himself, and skated off, laughing.

Daylight, between mouthfuls, fed chunks of ice into the tin pot, where it thawed into water.

The soil here consists of ice and volcanic ashes interstratified; and at a little depth beneath the surface it must remain perpetually congealed, for Lieut.

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So when you want to tell someone that the problem is far worse than they think, you say that it’s the tip of the iceberg.

Use: “We already have a few hundred confirmed cases of measles, but doctors think it is just the tip of the iceberg.”

23 time idioms to make your writing more interesting

2 Skating / Walking on thin ice

While we might skate at the rink in a shopping mall, people who live in cold places can skate on frozen ponds or rivers. They might also have to walk across them.

It’s best to do all these things on thick ice. The last thing you want is for the ice to break so that you fall into the freezing water. So, to skate on thin ice means to do something dangerous.

Use: “It might be fine to act the fool when the teacher is not around, but you’ll be skating on thin ice if you try it while the prefects are watching.”

3 Ice in your veins

Someone who is “hot-blooded” is usually very emotional and anxious. Someone who is cold-blooded is exactly the opposite. So, someone who has ice in their veins is calm and controlled even when they are under a lot of pressure.

Use: “I admire those bomb disposal experts. They need to have ice in their veins to do what they do.”

4 Break the ice

Start a conversation or other sort of interaction between strangers.

Use: “If you need to break the ice on the first day of a camp, organise some games where people have to talk to each other.”

5 Put (something) on ice

Stop or postpone an idea or project.

Use: “While we were all keen for the new school hall to open as soon as possible, plans had to be put on ice while we dealt with the leak in the cloakroom.”

13 idioms about change and improving yourself to give your writing a fresh start

6 Ice queen

A girl who is not very friendly.

Use: “At first we thought Julie was such an ice queen, but once you get to know her, you realise she’s really funny and friendly.”

7 Sell ice to Eskimos

To be able to sell anything to anyone, even though they don’t need it. Eskimo is a catch-all phrase used to describe people who live near the North Pole, though it is now thought to be rude.

Use: “By the end of the fair we still had a lot of orchids left which no one seemed to want. Then Justin arrived and managed to sell most of the flowers. He could even sell ice to Eskimos.”

8 Cuts no ice

Makes no difference. It can be used to warn someone not to break the rules.

Use: “The fact that you’re the principal’s daughter cuts no ice with me. You’ll still be given detention.”

9 The icing on the cake

Something extra that makes a good thing even better.

Use: “I was just glad to be invited to the party, but I heard Lynne is also going, and that is just the icing on the cake.”

10 Ice down

Put ice on an injured part of the body to stop it from swelling.

Use: “I hurt my knee playing football but Mum iced it down and now it’s a lot better.”

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Тест недоступен для мобильных устройств.

Подборка распространенных английских идиом о холодном отношении и безразличии.

Идиомы — это устойчивые фразы, которые нельзя переводить дословно, иначе они теряют смысл. Чтобы понять и запомнить идиомы с зимней лексикой, мы рассказали, с чем связано их происхождение, и привели примеры.

В русском языке есть фраза «растопить лед», которая используется в контексте «устранить натянутость в общении». Ее английский эквивалент — to break the ice, дословно переводится как «разбить лед». У идиомы есть второе значение — «сделать первый шаг в общении».

По одной из версий, to break the ice впервые встречается в сборнике латинских и греческих поговорок, переведенных на английский еще в 1508 году. По другой версии, идиому придумал Шекспир, хотя в его произведениях она встречается на 80 лет позже. Еще возникновение идиомы связывают с ледоколами, которые расчищали морской путь ото льда.

2. To be on thin ice

Идиома to be on thin ice синонимична русскому выражению «ходить по лезвию ножа». Глагол to be можно заменить на to walk (ходить) или to skate (кататься).

Происхождение идиомы легко объяснить: когда человек в прямом смысле ходит по тонкому льду, он подвергает себя опасности.

3. The tip of the iceberg

To be the tip of the iceberg дословно переводится как «верхушка айсберга». Носители английского так говорят о проблемах, которые гораздо сложнее, чем могут показаться на первый взгляд.

4. To give smb the cold shoulder

Бывает, что при общении с другим человеком, вы чувствуете, что от него веет холодом. Для описания такой ситуации подойдет идиома to give smb the cold shoulder, дословно — «давать кому-либо холодное плечо». Фразеологизм переводится как «холодно относиться к кому-либо», «оказывать холодный прием».

Фразеологизм отражает старинный обычай: желанных гостей угощали горячими блюдами, а непрошеных — холодными, например холодным куском бараньего плеча.

5. To get cold feet

У нас от страха бегут мурашки, а у нейтивов мерзнут ноги. Английская идиома to get cold feet переводится как «струсить». Уместна, когда речь идет о ком-то, кто в последний момент пошел на попятную.

По одной из версий, идиома появилась в военное время: солдаты, ссылаясь на обмороженные ноги, пытались избежать участия в опасных сражениях. Возможно, появление фразы связано с романом Фрица Рейтера «Мои фермерские дни», герой которого испугался вероятного проигрыша и завершил карточную игру, сказав, что у него замерзли ноги.

6. To blow hot and cold

Идиома to blow hot and cold дословно переводится как «дуть горячим или холодным». Она означает «менять свое мнение» и синонимична русскому фразеологизму «семь пятниц на неделе». To blow можно заменить на to run, значение не изменится.

Считается, что происхождение идиомы восходит к одной из сцен басни древнегреческого поэта-баснописца Эзопа «Человек и сатир». Однажды сатир увидел, что человек дышит на свои руки, чтобы согреть их, а затем дует на пищу, чтобы охладить ее. Это поразило существо и он сказал, что не может иметь дело с двуличным человеком, у кого из одних губ идет и тепло, и холод.

7. To make smb’s blood run cold

Идиома to make smb’s blood run cold схожа с нашей «заставить кровь стынуть в жилах». Ее происхождение довольно физиологично: испытывая страх, человек бледнеет и может чувствовать озноб, а все из-за гормона стресса, который меняет кровообращение в его теле.

8. To leave smb out in the cold

Представьте ощущения человека, оставленного на улице в мороз. Идиома to leave smb out in the cold как раз и передает это состояние. Она означает «игнорировать кого-либо», «оставлять в стороне».

9. To be snowed under

Если у вас завал на работе или много незакрытых задач, используйте идиому to be snowed under. Ситуацию, когда кто-то погряз в делах по уши, нейтивы представляют как лавину снега, которая накрывает человека с головой.

Некоторые английские идиомы схожи с русскими, поэтому их легко будет выучить. Остальные, скорее всего, дадутся сложнее. Чтобы запомнить их, постарайтесь представить себе ситуацию, в которой фразеологизм будет уместен.

As winter draws near, you might want to know some winter idioms which you can use to talk about this cold and frosty season. Whether the weather is snowy and icy outside, or just generally cold, these expressions will help.

You’ll also find some ice and snow idioms which actually have nothing to do with winter! But that’s to be expected, since idioms can’t be taken literally.

We have included meanings and example sentences with these winter-themed idioms so you can learn how to use them correctly.

There aren’t many English idioms which contain the word ‘winter’, but there some winter weather idioms which might come in handy when it’s cold outside. You may also want to check out these cold idioms.

Cold snap

A cold snap is a short period of cold weather at a time when temperatures are not usually so low.

“I thought we were over the worst of winter, and then this cold snap hit.”

We could also call this a cold spell. These are most likely to occur during spring and fall (autumn).

Freezing cold

The phrase freezing cold may be used literally, when the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius (the freezing point of water). However, it is just as often used to mean ‘very cold’. You may also use the word ‘freezing’ alone to mean the same thing.

“It’s freezing cold today.”
“My hands are freezing cold; I need a nice warm cup of coffee.”
“I’m freezing!”

A warm drink can certainly help in this situation, so check out some coffee idioms and tea idioms as well.

Bundle up

To bundle up means to dress in layers of warm winter clothing. It usually involves applying a winter coat, scarf, hat and gloves to a child or baby.

“You’d better bundle the children up well today; it’s the coldest day of the year so far.”
“Everyone bundle up! We’re going for a walk in the forest.”

This phrasal verb may be used transitively or intransitively, as shown in the examples above.

Wrap up (warm)

Wrap up has a lot of meanings in English. When used as a winter idiom it has a similar meaning to bundle up, except that it doesn’t have to refer to outdoor clothes and it can be used for adults as well as children.

“If you don’t wrap up warm tonight you’ll freeze!”
“Let’s all wrap up well before we go outside.”

In this context, it’s most common to say wrap up warm.

Snug as a bug in a rug

Once you are bundled up or wrapped up, you might feel as snug as a bug in a rug. This lovely assonant expression describes a feeling of being warm and snug.

“You look snug as a bug in a rug under that new blanket.”

Dead of winter

The dead of winter means the coldest part of the season, right in the middle, when you are least likely to see signs of life.

“Hedgehogs hibernate through the dead of winter.”

The dead of night has a similar meaning; it’s the part of the night when things are the quietest.

Next, some snow idioms – although most of them don’t actually refer to snow itself.

Snowed in / snowbound

When it snows heavily and you can’t go anywhere, you could say you are snowed in or snowbound.

“We spent half our holiday snowed in at the ski lodge; what a waste!”

Note that snowbound is more commonly used in American English.

Snow day

Heavy snow may also cause a snow day; a day on which the schools (and sometimes offices) are closed because not enough people can travel to them.

“The kids were so excited to hear it’s a snow day today.”

During a snow day, children often bundle up and build a snowman, have a snowball fight or go sledding. These idioms about happiness might come in handy!

Snowed under

You are snowed under if you are exceptionally busy or feel overworked. Imagine yourself buried under an avalanche of paperwork or emails.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to lunch. I’m snowed under at work.”

You can discover some more business idioms if you want to talk about your workload in other ways.

Snowball effect

A snowball gathers more and more snow as it rolls along, quickly growing in size. In the same way, the term snowball effect refers to a situation in which an initially insignificant thing becomes larger and of greater consequence, building momentum as it grows. It can be used in both a positive and a negative sense.

“One viral video was all it took to set off the snowball effect on my channel.”
“She refused to deal with her debt while it was manageable and now the snowball effect has taken hold.”

We can also use ‘snowball’ as a verb to mean the same thing.

“The problem snowballed until it couldn’t be ignored any longer.”

As white as snow

Not necessarily an idiom, but when we want to emphasize the pure ‘whiteness’ of something, we often say it is white as snow.

“The bride wore a dress as white as snow.”

The fairytale Snow White tells the story of a girl who was so named because her skin was white as snow.

White Christmas

If it snows on December 25th, Christmas Day, we call it a white Christmas. This is quite a common Christmas saying – you may be familiar with songs or a movie with this title.

“White Christmases are so magical! I hope it snows this year.”

Sell snow to Eskimos

This is a fun winter-themed expression to include here. When we say that someone could sell snow (or ice) to Eskimos, it means they are an incredibly persuasive salesperson and can convince people to purchase something they don’t really need. Eskimo people live in Arctic regions full of snow, so of course they would have no need to buy it!

You can try making up your own funny alternatives:

• Sell sand at the beach
• Sell milk to a cow
• Sell sawdust to a carpenter

Ice idioms

Finally we have some ice idioms. These tend not to have anything to do with winter weather, but can be used to talk about all kinds of other situations.

Tip of the iceberg

When we talk about the tip of the iceberg, we’re referring to the fact that the part of an iceberg that you can see above the water (the tip) is much smaller than the part hidden underwater.

This idiom is used when only a small portion of something can be seen or understood and the larger part is yet to be revealed or discovered.

“The government’s recent tax hikes are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Although it can be used in positive contexts, this is more often an idiom about bad situations.

Put something on ice

To put something on ice means to postpone or delay dealing with it. We can also say put something on hold.

“I’m going to have to put these expansion plans on ice until we have the budget confirmed.”

Break the ice

To break the ice means to relax an awkward or tense situation, or to initiate social interaction.

“This party is so dull! What can we do to break the ice?”

You might do this via an organized icebreaker activity. Surprisingly, this is an idiom from Shakespeare’s works.

Freeze up

This phrasal verb literally means to become frozen or icy, but we can also use it in a figurative sense. Then, to freeze up means to stop working (of an object), or to become so scared or tense that you can’t continue.

“I totally froze up at that job interview. I could hardly speak!”
“My dad’s computer froze up so I told him to restart it.”

Brain freeze

Brain freeze also has a couple of meanings. It can refer to the type of headache you get from drinking a cold or frozen beverage too fast. Or, it can mean the feeling you get when you freeze up and can’t think properly.

“I’m trying to remember that guy’s name but I’m having a brain freeze.”

Walking on thin ice

If you are in a risky position, very close to trouble or danger, we might say you are walking on thin ice. Imagine that the ice could crack and break at any moment, and you would fall into the freezing water.

“Saskia is walking on thin ice by turning up late to work every day. Her punctuality needs to improve.”

So, there you have some great winter idioms and some which are not-so-wintery but still sound cold! Can you think of any others? Leave a comment below to share them. And if you want to warm up your words, check out some summer idioms next.

Meaning of expressions with ICE

Break the ice

begin to be friendly with; begin something difficult

• – Jayne, Jeremy’s wife is very shy but I eventually broke the ice with her and now we’ve become good friends.

Cut no ice

have little effect on someone

• – John tried to get special treatment because his father is famous, but that cut no ice with the doorman “If you don’t have an invitation, you don’t come in!!”

skating on thin ice

taking a risk, be in a dangerous position

• – John has been late for work everyday this week, I think he’s skating on thin ice

keep (sthng) on ice

keep for later use

• – I’m going to keep these statistics on ice, they could be to our benefit in the future.

Languagewell also bring you lessons with idioms using LOVE  and FALL  as well as many other lessons and exercises with phrasal verbs and English Idioms  One vocabulary example is Book which is used in a number  of well-known English expressions such as closed book and throw the book at someone  There are more lessons with other verbs in the Phrasal Verb Index   it includes run and  think. If you want, you can  practise by doing these exercises Check out other English Language and Grammar lessons and exercises here

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