What does I am on the shelf mean?
not noticed or not used: If someone, usually a woman, is on the shelf, she is not married and is considered too old for anyone to want to marry her: In those days, if you hadn’t married by the time you were 30, you were definitely on the shelf.
What does it mean to keep someone up on the shelf?
To render someone unable or unavailable to do something.
What does it mean to be put on shelf?
To delay something or put it on hiatus. Once my wife became pregnant, I knew I had to put my plans of starting my own business on the shelf for a while.
What is the meaning of in the shelf and on the shelf?
Inactive, not employed, as in With mandatory retirement at 65, many useful employees are put on the shelf. [ Second half of 1500s] 2. In a state of disuse, as in We’ll have to put her proposal on the shelf until we have more funds. [
What does I keep her up on the shelf mean?
phrase [verb-link PHRASE, PHRASE after verb] If you say that someone or something is on the shelf, you mean that no one wants them. [informal]
What does it mean to put a girl on the shelf?
BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED. If a woman is on the shelf, she is not married and is now too old for men to want to marry her.
Is it on the shelf or in the shelf?
‘On the shelf’ is the correct word. The shelf only has one surface which could contain a book so you put the book on the shelf or onto shelf. ‘In’ the shelf or ‘into the shelf’ means within the fibres of a wooden shelf or between the layers of plastic or metal that make up the shelf.
What does it mean to shelf someone?
English Language Learners Definition of shelve : to put (something) on a shelf. : to stop doing or thinking about (something) for a period of time. : to make (someone) unable to play or perform.
What does shelving someone mean?
Shelving: the act of chatting someone up in a way that suggests something more is going to happen in real life but then using work obligations to avoid making definitive plans to meet offline. Usually, this is accompanied by a plea to stay in touch and/or a promise to meet up when work settles down.
What does it mean to put something on the shelf?
on the shelf. 1. Inactive, not employed, as in With mandatory retirement at 65, many useful employees are put on the shelf. [Second half of 1500s] 2. In a state of disuse, as in We’ll have to put her proposal on the shelf until we have more funds.
Which is the best definition of a PL shelf?
n, pl shelves (ʃɛlvz) 1. a thin flat plank of wood, metal, etc, fixed horizontally against a wall, etc, for the purpose of supporting objects. 2. something resembling this in shape or function.
Is it offensive to say a woman left an article on a shelf?
This usage is always said of a woman and today considered offensive. It is probably obsolescent. [Early 1800s] All these usages allude to an article left on the shelf of a store, bookcase, or the like. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Why is the Finance Bill on the shelf?
on the shelf. 1. In a state of disuse or inactivity: The injured goalie has been on the shelf for weeks. 2. Out of consideration: The finance bill is on the shelf until next year.