come in from the cold
Of a spy: to return home after having gone undercover in enemy territory.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The agent finally came in from the cold after years abroad.”
“After spending a decade working undercover in a hostile country, the spy was finally allowed to come in from the cold.”
“The handler worried that the operative had stayed in the field too long and would struggle to adjust to normal life once she finally came in from the cold.”
“The intelligence agency offered him a quiet retirement, provided he was ready to come in from the cold and leave his dangerous life behind.”
first recorded 20th c.
The term originates as a literal description of entering a warm building to escape low outdoor temperatures. Its idiomatic use was established by the 1963 publication of the novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by the British author John le Carré.
Le Carré employed the phrase as a pun on the Cold War, the geopolitical backdrop of the narrative. Within the context of the novel and the era, the cold represented the isolation and exposure of life in the field, while coming in signified a return to the perceived safety of one's own borders or organization.
- 01
a cold day in July
The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.
- 02
appetite comes with eating
Starting an activity increases one's desire to continue it.
- 03
as they come
As it is possible to be.
- 04
blow hot and cold
To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.
- 05
blow to kingdom come
To totally destroy (something); to annihilate or wipe out (something).
- 06
burn that bridge when one comes to it
To anticipate dealing with a problem or situation either by acting in a manner that alienates or cuts ties with others, or merely with the expectation of encountering trouble.
- 07
catch a cold
To contract a cold.
- 08
Christmas come early
Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
Last updated August 10, 2026