Definition of the word freeze over

The phrase "freeze over" originated from the literal sense of freezing, specifically in the context of freezing bodies of water, such as ponds or lakes. It means for the water to become so cold that it completely solidifies, thereby preventing any liquid properties from existing. The term itself travels back to 1859, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, in which its first recorded use was in Australia as an intransitive phrase. It connotes a situation in which the water in certain areas undergoes a transformation, turning from unfrozen liquid to heavy, solid ice. In relation to the more abstract usage of "freeze over" in contemporary language, such as to describe an idea or a situation that has become stagnant, this term has evolved from its original literal sense over time. It implies a standstill, a lack of movement or progress, with connotations of duration, as in 'the discussion has frozen over for weeks.' The transition from a physical term to a metaphorical one suggests that the idea of a body of water completely solidifying, caused by severe cold, is considered so extreme and unyielding that it has come to symbolize a lack of progress or motion itself. In summary, the phrase "freeze over" finds its origins in the freezing of water bodies in extreme cold, and through metaphorical usage, it has come to describe stagnation and lack of progress in abstract situations.