be left on the shelf
1Left on the shelf — unattached or unmarried, and without prospects of marriage …
2left on the shelf — Australian Slang unattached or unmarried, and without prospects of marriage …
3on the shelf — British & Australian, old fashioned if someone, especially a woman, is on the shelf, they are not married and people now believe they are too old to get married. I was afraid my daughter would never find a husband, that she d be left on the shelf …
4put someone on the shelf — put (someone) on the shelf to cause someone not to be available. A sore left knee put him on the shelf for two weeks, and he has missed six games …
5shelf — W3S3 [ʃelf] n plural shelves [ʃelvz] [Date: 1300 1400; : Middle Low German; Origin: schelf] 1.) a long flat narrow board attached to a wall or in a frame or cupboard, used for putting things on top/bottom/next etc shelf ▪ Put it back on the top… …
6on the shelf — {adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} Laid aside; not useful anymore. * /When a girl grows up, she puts childish habits on the shelf./ * /Mr. Myron s company put him on the shelf when he reached the age of 65./ …
7on the shelf — {adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} Laid aside; not useful anymore. * /When a girl grows up, she puts childish habits on the shelf./ * /Mr. Myron s company put him on the shelf when he reached the age of 65./ …
8on the shelf — 1. mod. not active socially; left to oneself in social matters. □ I’ve been on the shelf long enough. I’m going to make some friends. □ She likes being on the shelf. 2. mod. postponed. (See also on the back burner.) □ We’ll have to put this… …
9put on the shelf — put (someone) on the shelf to cause someone not to be available. A sore left knee put him on the shelf for two weeks, and he has missed six games …
10shelf — /Self/ noun plural shelves /Selvz/ 1 (C) a long flat narrow board fixed onto a wall or in a frame or cupboard, used for putting things on or storing things on: Put it back on the top shelf. | shelves of books | supermarket shelves 2 (C) a narrow… …
