Meaning
To give the cold shoulder
Example
Se for me dar gelo, não esqueça a vodka!
If you're going to give me the cold shoulder, don't forget the vodka!
Origin
The expression turns gelo ("ice") into an image of emotional coldness: to dar um gelo is to "give someone ice," treating them with frosty silence and indifference. Cold as a metaphor for unfriendliness is shared by many languages — compare the English "cold shoulder" — so the Brazilian phrase has no single documented origin and rests simply on the everyday link between low temperature and withheld warmth.
Practice idioms with the Idiom Trainer
Falando's Idiom Trainer teaches you to recognize idiom meanings and create sentences using them, so you can speak like a Brazilian.
More idioms
Acertar na moscaTo guess correctly / To hit the nail on the headAmigo da onçaA fake/false friendAndar na linhaTo toe the line / To behave properlyArmar um barracoTo cause a public sceneRodar a baianaTo cause a public scene / To go ballisticArrumar sarna pra se coçarTo ask for troubleArrastar as asasTo hit on someone / To flirtAbrir o jogoTo come clean / To open upArregaçar as mangasTo roll up one's sleeves / To get to workAgarrar com unhas e dentesTo hold on for dear life / To seize an opportunity