Cold shoulder

"Cold shoulder" is a phrase used to express dismissal or the act of disregarding someone. Its origin is attributed to Sir Walter Scott in a work published in 1816, which is in fact a mistranslation of an expression from the Vulgate Bible. There is also a commonly repeated incorrect folk etymology.

The expression "cold shoulder" has been used in many literary works, and has entered into the vernacular. It has been used as a description of aloofness and disdain, a contemptuous look over one's shoulder, and even in the context of a woman attempting to decline the advances of an aggressive man. Overall, it remains widely popular as a phrase for describing the act of ignoring someone or something, or giving an unfriendly response.