Cold Case, On Ice

Buzz
In an entertainment context, "buzz" means the amount of popular discussion about a subject. This discussion is not by movie critics, but by people at large. Therefore, those measuring it cannot point to specific reviews or specific words; they measure "buzz," which is a representation of background noise.
Example: "There is a misconception that buzz will always transfer into sales," says Matt Smith, co-founder of the digital media and marketing company The Viral Factory, responsible for the viral campaign to launch the 2008 film Cloverfield."

Original story re: the next Batman film's viral marketing campaign here. .


Cold Case
A "cold case" is an investigation that has had no new developments for a long period of time. Here, a "case" is a less formal word for "a police investigation".

A cold case is a case that does not have any "hot leads," that is, the case is not getting warmer (which would mean getting closer to a conclusion). A lead is a piece of information that leads the investigator to new facts and evidence.

A cold case that develops a new, but not dramatic, lead may be said to be "warming up." A cold case that develops a new, dramatic lead can be said to be "heating up." A case that has a number of fresh, dramatic leads is "a hot case."

"Cold Case" is the title of a Western television program. The heroine investigates cases that have been "cold" for some time, resolving cases that have gone unresolved for years.


On Ice
When something is figuratively put "on ice," it is preserved and protected, and out of sight.

This combination can be used in good and bad ways.

Example 1: "Having scored its fourth goal, England's victory was on ice." This means victory was preserved.

Example 2: "Once England scored its fourth goal, South Africa was put on ice." This means that the South Africa team was disposed of, and its chances of victory were put out of reach.

Example 3: "The report on police corruption was put on ice by a nervous mayor." This implies that the report in question was permanently placed where the public would not see it.

As you can see, a single idiom can be used in various ways... but the meanings are all similar. It's simply a matter of applying the idiom to the circumstances of the sentence, otherwise known as the context.

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary .
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