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Expression of the Day
Puzzle #111 · September 20, 2025

cold shoulder

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Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.

The phrase cold shoulder likely comes from the 19th-century tradition of serving cold shoulder of mutton to an unwanted guest. It may also be the body language of turning one's back on someone to show indifference to them.

Adele sang about getting the Cold Shoulder in 2008.
Puzzle Appearances

The expression cold shoulder has appeared in 1 puzzle:

  • Puzzle #111 on September 20, 2025
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print

Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.

Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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