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send to Coventry

idiom
Meaning

To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone.


Origin

disputed origin

Some believe that the phrase dates from the English Civil War, when a military prison was located in that city. Others say it dates from the 18th century, when Coventry was the nearest town to London that lay outside the jurisdiction of the Bow Street Runners and so London criminals would flee to Coventry to escape arrest.

Examples
SIMPLE

The team decided to send him to Coventry after his mistake.

CONTEXTUAL

Because he broke the office rules, his coworkers decided to send him to Coventry and stopped speaking to him entirely.

COMPLEX

Following the public scandal, the board members chose to send him to Coventry, effectively isolating him from all future decision-making processes within the organization.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    send a message

    To implicitly communicate an idea, typically through one's actions.

  2. 02

    send away

    To dismiss from one's presence.

  3. 03

    send away for

    To write to a business or other organisation, requesting a thing.

  4. 04

    send for a toss

    To use or invest on the off chance.

  5. 05

    send shivers down someone's spine

    To terrify; to make someone feel extremely nervous.

  6. 06

    send someone packing

    To expel, eject, or dismiss someone; to send away, chase off, or force out; (from a job or employment position) to fire.

  7. 07

    send someone to the showers

    To remove a player from a particular team competition before the conclusion of the event, especially because that player's contribution on this occasion has been below his or her expected level of performance.

  8. 08

    send to dorse

    To throw (a person) onto their back; to knock out.

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