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 . [Late 1800s]

3. Without prospects of marriage. For example, After she broke her third engagement, her parents were sure she'd be on the 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.

Example Sentences

Still, unless you’re in the market for a new car, or perhaps have noticed that the cheese imported from France is no longer on the shelf at Costco, you likely have not been much impacted.

From Salon

But the freshman All-American kicker will miss the Trojans’ opener and potentially more time as he recovers from an injury that’s kept him on the shelf through camp.

From Los Angeles Times

Cracking the 53-man roster might be tough, but Wax could make the team if Junior Colson, who has a history of injuries and is currently “working through something,” begins the season on the shelf.

From Los Angeles Times

It had been sitting on the shelf ever since – until now.

From BBC

“It’s always been one of the things I’ve loved about it, so I’m trying to put a whole range of plants out there on the shelf. It’s really intended for anyone who’s been affected, because plants are there to bring comfort and, as my 2-year-old says, they’re there to make people happy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• asleep 
• comatose 
• inert 
• inoperative 
• latent 
• passive 
• sidelined www.thesaurus.com
• sluggish