# stink on ice

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stink-on-ice
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be of very poor quality, even repulsive.

## Examples

- That new movie really stinks on ice.
- My old car stinks on ice during the winter.
- Your plan to fix the roof stinks on ice.
- I tried the new restaurant downtown, but the food was terrible and the service stank on ice.
- The band's performance stank on ice because the lead singer forgot the lyrics and the drummer could not keep a steady beat.
- I thought the new software would help my business, but the interface stinks on ice and constantly crashes my computer.
- The athlete's attitude stinks on ice because he refuses to practice with his teammates and blames everyone else whenever the team loses a game.
- The manager realized the entire marketing campaign stank on ice, so he scrapped the project before it caused further damage to the company's reputation.

## Origin

The phrase emerges from the observation that if organic matter continues to emit a foul odour even when preserved on ice, it must be thoroughly putrid. While ice is expected to arrest the process of decay and suppress the scent of decomposition, a substance that overcomes this thermal barrier is considered exceptionally rotten.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.